Apocalypse
by Issendai
Summary: Yugi Moutou elected to move to a rainy town, which he utterly detested, for someone else's happiness. Then he stumbles into love with someone that wasn't human. Atem is actually Yami, so I listed the pairing as Yami/Yugi. Yu-gi-oh version of Twilight
1. Preface

Okay, so this is my first stab at writing in a while, and although it's not 100% original

considering that the characters have been borrowed from Yu-Gi-Oh, with maybe a few original characters thrown in here and there (to play minor parts, if they appear at all). Also, the idea of this is quite obviously, a twilight remake, so credit is given where it is needed, and keep in mind that not everything will be how it was in the books. This is an alternate universe fiction, and so events have been modified, left out, added, etc, to fit my version.

Please let me know what you think, whether it's constructive criticism, or just to let me know what you liked.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Twilight, because if I did then I wouldn't feel the need to search for a job and suffer through life.

And another thing before I get going, I think everyone can figure out which Yu-Gi-Oh character is taking the place of the ones from Twilight, but if you can't, then let me know and I'll send you a list if you want, but it may not be so soon because I'm not quite certain on which characters will play what roles. Only know that:

It is AU. Events have been changed to fit my purposes.

This is a yaoi fiction; if you do not like this, then please turn back now.

*******************Apocalypse*********************

**M**ost people don't think of it very often. It likes to creep up on is when we aren't expecting it, but it doesn't always work the way it wants; there are special cases every once in a while where someone sees it coming, witnesses it smothering the life out of its next victim. I hadn't really figured I'd be staring it down as it came for me, freaked out of my wits though I was. But as I thought about it, I'd never had the chance to accomplish even half of the things that I'd wanted to. It didn't seem very fair, but the more thought I put into it, the more I began to believe that if I had to give up my future for the ones I loved, then I'd be happy to do just that. At least that seemed worth it in the end.

Even in my wildest nightmares I'd never really imagined how my life would end. Well, okay, so that's a lie. I mean, I'd dreamt of the normal ways like a heart attack, diseases, and maybe even an accident or two, but never a bloodthirsty hunter chasing me from state to state only because of a piece of my life that I couldn't change even if I wanted to. I've seen those horror movies where the hero or heroine does something stupid and ends up getting killed; one of those times you just want to scream at them and tell them how stupid they are, you know? Well now I knew how that felt, considering I was the one who had gotten myself in this mess to begin with, as usual. I'd never liked horror movies anyway. Despite that, I absolutely did not regret my decision I had made so long ago, though it felt like only yesterday.

I had never planned for anything like this. I had unknowingly stepped into a dream that blew all other ideals so far out of the water that I would have rather suffocated in my pillows than ever wake-up. I remembered, through the fear of staring down my killer from across the room, something my mother had told me once before she died. She had said that nightmares can lull you into a strange sense of security, seeming to be dreams, but that it worked in reverse as well. Too much of a dream can become a nightmare, as my killer offered a smile as he stalked forward to deliver my death and put an end to the dream I'd been living in.

Okay, so that's the end to the Preface, let me know what you guys think, and I'll have the next chapter out really soon, like later tonight or in the morning.


	2. First Sight

I'm back with the second chapter for, hopefully, your reading pleasure. I know most people don't read these notes, so I'll try to keep them short, but if there's any questions or problems I'll deal with them at the end of chapter, if there are any. Otherwise I'm going to launch right into the story. I've decided to give a couple of my own characters (Brandon, Spencer, and Julie) some major parts, as the Blacks and Leah, only because I wasn't satisfied with the characters I thought of for the positions.

And just as a quick note, Mokuba is older than Yugi by quite a bit and completely unrelated to Seto, so that things end up working out.

I don't own the characters, or the plotline, I'm just tweaking them for my own use.

**************First Sight**************

**M**y grandfather was the one who ended up driving me to the airport. I'd rolled down the windows shortly after getting in the vehicle because I'd opted to have the air conditioning remain off. It wasn't even _that_ hot out; it was seventy-five degrees and in Phoenix that was on the lower end of the temperature scale. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the sky as we drove, but I made sure to enjoy my last morning here as much as I could without my usual comforts. I was hoping that I could fool myself into believing that I could get used to no air-conditioning before I had to put that skill into real use. As a tribute, I wore my favorite blue sleeveless top—plain and simply blue, symbolizing my new life; plain and easy. There would be no hustle and bustle of the city in my final destination.

This new future of mine was such a change from my new life in Arizona that I'd bought myself a new winter jacket. I planned to stuff it in my backpack and carry it on to the plane with me, simply because I was expecting that I'd need it as soon as I disembarked from the flight from Phoenix to Seattle. Well, maybe that was a bit much, but I'd really need it when I reached Forks. It was a small town in Washington, almost constantly cloud covered and, for all my childhood that I spent there, I knew that rain was the most common occurrence year round. It was the one place in the United States of America that received the most rain water at any time of the year.

I was only four months old when my mother took me away from there. Not long after that she passed away and I was left to live with my grandfather. Still, against her wishes, I've visited my uncle for a month or two every year up until I turned fourteen. Gramps couldn't seem to convince me to go back after that. When I stopped, uncle Mokuba decided that he'd make yearly trips back here in the summer for a few weeks at a time. He usually only stayed that long due to the sun. He claimed that it wore him out too quickly, and although sometimes that does happen, I think it's more that he's just not comfortable with staying longer. It's been three years since he started coming and I refused to go anywhere near the place I'd become quite familiar with growing up.

It kind of made me feel sorry, if only for the fact that grandfather and uncle Mokuba were the only family that I had left.

But, as much as I complain about it, I'm the only one responsible for my departure back to Forks—it was the hardest decision I had _ever_ made, considering the degree to which I _detested_ it. I hated it so completely because it was small, wet, cold, and it was the opposite of the sunny, gigantic city of Phoenix and the huge quantity of heat it emitted on a daily basis.

I think my grandfather knew. He just couldn't figure out exactly why I would choose to live in Forks. Since I hated it so much. Maybe that's why he tried to talk me out of it. "Yugi, if this isn't what you want, you don't have to go."

I looked at him, and mostly I could only see the obvious differences. Maybe he looked like me at some point a long time ago, but I doubt that he's ever been as… eccentric looking as myself. There's been too many times that I've been singled out for the odd hair, standing at multiple angles all over my head, and more than one color; red on the tips, mostly black, and blond bangs. People on the street stop to stare at me in wonder, and I have to say, just for the record, that yes, everyone, my hair _is_ naturally like that. But that's not all. My eyes are this funky purple, and they stand out even more than my hair does. I hate it.

Anyway, I better get back on topic now. Although I was leaving my family—yes, I suppose I'll even count my grandfather's new girlfriend, Alexis, as family, though I don't know her that well yet. All I really know is that she's quite a bit younger, and she's only been seeing my old man for a just under a year, I'd miss her. She did a good job looking after him, and was upbeat and pretty quirky. I knew they'd be fine, but still…

There has to be a rule somewhere that says you go to hell for lying to a family member, or at least feel like you belong there, because I could feel the guilt licking the insides of my chest and it crept hot and heavy and settled into the pit of my stomach, for what I was about to do, "But I really _do_ want to go." I hoped that he couldn't tell it was a blatant fib, since I'd been practicing it in front of the mirror for weeks just so it would convince someone that didn't know my reasons for leaving (mainly, everyone but me). I'd always been terrible at telling a lie—even people I didn't know found out when I was trying to pull on over on them, and so I tended to avoid doing it.

"Well, tell Mokuba I said hi, will you?"

"Sure, that's no problem, gramps."

"I'll make sure that we see you soon," he promised, "and you can always come home if you want—We'll have you on the next flight home as soon as you need us." It was really odd hearing him refer to himself and Alexis as a single unit, but that wasn't what threw me for a loop, not really. I could see that as much as he didn't want me to go, he's enjoy his newfound freedom.

"Don't worry; everything will be great. I love you, grampa."

He stepped forward to hug me, and then I was on the plane and destined for my doom. There's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, and if you add on that hour in a small death trap plane up to Port Angeles, then you're still short the hour trip in the car to Forks. That was the only thing that I was dreading; the car ride with my uncle. We…weren't as close as we could have been, and neither of us was very verbose, and so things tended to be awkward between us.

Despite that, he'd been very helpful with the whole situation. Mokuba had seemed pleased when I'd first asked him if I could spend some time with him. He'd already registered me in the local high school and he'd also promised to help me find a car. But considering that neither one of us had much to say to each other, it was quite clear that he couldn't wrap his head around my decision to make a home in Forks with any degree of permanence—I'd been very vocal and clear with, well... have I mentioned that I really dislike Forks?

When the plane touched down in Port Angeles, I took it as no surprise to see that it was raining. I had figured that it was unavoidable, but that didn't stop the disappointment from bringing my spirits down. I'd just landed, and rain already. Why couldn't it have held off for a day or two at least?

Mokuba was leaning against the cruiser when I left the plane. This was expected, too. Mokuba offered his services to Forks as protector and police chief to the small town in Washington. Honestly, the main motivation for spending all my hard earned cash on a vehicle, despite the scarcity of it, was only because I wouldn't be caught dead being driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on the top of it. Nothing slows down traffic and demands attention like a cop car.

I was greeted with a way too awkward one-armed hug when I stumbled my way off of the plane.

"It's good to see you, Yugi," he said, smiling as he helped me regain my balance, "nothing much has changed since I saw you last; you haven't grown much at all. How's your grandfather?"

"He's just fine, it's good to see you too, Mokuba," I assured, as I made a grab for my stuff. He wasn't having any of that; he urged that I allow him to carry them for me.

I only had a few, so I relented, although it still kinda bugged me. Most of my stuff, definitely wasn't rain-proof enough for Washington, and so I'd had to leave them behind me. Grampa and I had spent what we could on my new winter wardrobe, but it was quite small, and that meant that it fit into two suitcases, and left lots of room in the trunk of the cruiser.

"Guess what I did?" He continued on and did not wait for an answer, "I found you a car really cheap," he announced and waited for me to get situated, seat belt and all before pulling out of the parking space and onto the road.

"What kind of car is it?"

"Well, I can't say it's a car, because it's actually a truck, but it's a Chevy."

"Where'd you find it?" I wanted to mobile as soon as possible.

"Do you remember Brandon Lee down at La Push?" That's the tiny Indian resort on the coast.

"Nope, can't say I do."

"He used to go fishing with us in the summer," he hinted, trying to jog my memory. _That explains it_, I thought, _I try to block out all those horrible trips down memory lane_.

"He's in a wheelchair now," he continued, not put off by my silence, "so he has no use for the truck, and it offered it to me real cheap."

"What year is it?" He hesitated, and it is was clear he didn't want me to ask in the first place.

"Well, there's been work done on the engine—it's only really a few years old."

I hoped he didn't think I'd be dissuaded by that, I wanted more answers. "When did he buy it?"

"He bought it in 1984, I think."

"Was it new when he bought it?" I urged.

"Uh, not exactly. It might've been in the early sixties—or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted after a silence on his part.

"Mokuba, I don't know anything about cars. I couldn't fix it if it broke, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"

"Don't worry, the thing runs great. They don't build stuff like that anymore."

_The Thing_, I thought to myself. It had possibilities. The nickname, I mean.

"How cheap is cheap?" That was the kicker. I couldn't afford to compromise on the price.

"That's just it. Uh, I bought if for you already. As a homecoming gift." Mokuba glanced at me with the barest hint of hope in his expression.

Wow. Free stuff is _always_ a bonus, even if it does make you seem like a bum.

"You didn't have to. I was going to buy myself a car."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." His tone didn't leave any room for argument, but I wasn't planning on that anyway. I knew he wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud. But neither was I. Maybe this was because I spent so many summers here with him that it just rubbed off on me. So I looked straight ahead as I replied. "That's really nice, Mokuba. I really do appreciate it." I didn't feel inclined to mention that me, happy, and Forks all in one equation equaled an impossibility. There wasn't a need to make him suffer with me.

"Well now, you're welcome," he said, embarrassed by my thanks.

We only exchanged the usual conversation topics like the weather ("It's really wet here") and the like, and it was quiet the rest of the way home. I looked out the windows in silence the entire time.

No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't deny the beauty of it all. Everything here was green; the trees, covered in moss, the branches creating a leafy canopy above everything, and all the ferns on the ground. Even the air filtered through the leaves in green tinted columns to the ground.

It was too green—an alien planet compared to what I was used to.

Eventually we reached Mokuba's. He still lived in the small two-bedroom house that he'd bought for mom when she was pregnant with me. There, parked, on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new—well, new to me—truck. It was a faded out red color, with big rounded fenders and a huge cab. To my intense surprise, I actually loved it. If that thing would run, I could definitely see myself in it. As an added bonus, it seemed to be one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged—the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the scrap metal of the foreign car it had destroyed.

"Awesome! Thanks Mokuba, I love it!" Now the horror that would be tomorrow would be so much easier to deal with. I wouldn't have to walk two miles in the rain, and there would be no embarrassing ride in the cruiser in the morning.

"I'm so glad you like it," he accepted, embarrassed again.

It didn't take more than one trip to move all my stuff in, and it took about an hour to unpack everything to my satisfaction after I'd snooped around. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. This room was familiar; every time I stayed here, this was my room. The wooden floor, light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, and the yellowing lace curtains were all the same. The desk was the only thing that was different, what with the second-hand computer now occupying space on top of it and the phone line for the modem stapled along the ceiling to the nearest phone jack. This was a rule put in place by grandfather so make communication easier. The rocking chair from my younger days was still situated in the corner.

Only one bathroom existed at the top of the stairs, and I'd have to share it with Mokuba. That was one of the things I was trying to ignore at the moment.

Mokuba left me to get settled because hovering wasn't really his thing. It was one of the things I liked about him. It was nice to be alone and drop the pretend act; it was a relief to stare miserably out the window as the rain snaked down the glass and just shed a few tears. I'd save the main event for bedtime when the worst day of my life loomed every closer, though.

Forks high school only had three hundred and fifty eight students (including myself); that was scary in the way that my junior class in Arizona had double that many people alone. These people had grown up together, and their grandparents had too. Once more I'd be the odd one out, the freak.

When I'd finished checking things out I faced myself in the mirror. I admitted that I'd already knew that fitting in wasn't an option for me. If I couldn't do that with three thousand people, I had no chance in an under-populated environment like this one. I didn't relate well to people my own age, or maybe it was people in general. Even grampa, who'd been closer than anyone else to me, was never on the same page. There must be a malfunction in my brain.

With all the rain, and the stress of a new school, I didn't sleep well. I buried myself under the covers and covered my head with the pillow. That didn't help at all. After hours of rolling over and staring at the ceiling, my eyes only slid shut when the rain started to slow. That was well after midnight.

I think.

When I woke up the next morning I couldn't see through the fog outside. That putt me off already; it wasn't going to be a good day from the looks of it. What a great way to start off here.

Breakfast was quiet and uncomfortable. Mokuba wished me good luck for school and I returned a "thank you," although I felt that it was a wish well wasted on me. He left first for work, and I occupied myself with examining the kitchen. I sat at the square old oak table in one of the three mis-matched chairs, looking around at the dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and the white linoleum floor. Nothing here had been changed either. My mom had painted those cabinets eighteen years ago to let some light in. Over the fireplace in the small dining room was a single row of pictures. First there was a wedding picture of my parents, and one of myself, mom, and Mokuba taken in the hospital after I was born by a helpful nurse, followed by my school pictures up to last year's. They were pretty horrible, and I'd have to remember to see if Mokuba wouldn't move them while I stayed with him.

It was impossible for me not to see how lonely my uncle had been in this house by himself, and suddenly I felt guilt take over again.

I didn't want to be early to school, but this feeling was too much for me. I slipped on my boots and my new parka and stepped into the rain. Again.

I guess I was just being dramatic again, because I make it seem like it was pouring, when all it was really doing was drizzling out, but it was still annoying as I reached for the house key hidden under the eaves and locked everything up. I didn't stop to take another good luck at my truck like I wanted because of the water that made my bangs cling to my forehead and dripped down my face from underneath my hood.

The vehicle was nice and dry inside. Either Brandon or Mokuba had cleaned it up inside, but nothing could mask the scent of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine roared to life easily, to my biggest relief, but it was loud; it idled at top volume. But that was okay, considering its age it was bound to have a flaw. The radio worked, and that was a bonus that I hadn't expected.

It wasn't hard to find the school, although I'd never been there before. The building was, like most other things, just off the highway. I wouldn't have known what it was if the sign hadn't told me, and I almost missed the turn-in. It was like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. It was surrounded by lots of trees and shrubs, and I was amazed that for a town so small the school was so big.

I parked in front of the first building, which had a sign that read **FRONT OFFICE**. No one else had parked there, so that gave me the impression that it wasn't for students, but I wanted to know where I had to go instead of looking driving around like an idiot. I climbed out of the truck and frowned in distaste when the rain hit me. I carefully followed the pathway lined with hedges so I didn't fall, and paused outside the building. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to do this, but I sucked in a huge breath and pushed open the door.

It was brightly lit, and pretty warm. It was small, however; there was a little waiting area with folded chairs, and that yucky orange carpet you only see in commercials, notices and awards littered the walls, and a big clock that made plenty of noise. There was a long counter that cut the room in half, and it was cluttered with baskets full of papers and flyers half taped to its surface like someone had attempted to pull them down. The woman who was working behind the counter had red hair and glasses, and she was dressed in a simple t-shirt, which definitely made me feel overdressed.

She looked up at me at last. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Yugi Moutou," I stated, and I noticed the awareness immediately. This was another thing I hadn't wanted; everyone would know who I was and I'd be a topic of attention for sure. Police chief's moody nephew, come home at last, despite throwing a fit about staying here in the first place.

"Of course," she agreed, and dug through a pile on her desk until she found what she was looking for. "I have a schedule here for you, and a map of the school so you don't get lost." She handed a few sheets of paper over the counter for me to examine.

She explained my classes, showing me how best to get to each one and highlighting the route for me, but she also gave me a piece of paper that I had to get signed by the different teachers I had throughout the day and deliver back to her after last period. She told me that she hoped I liked it here, and I tried to give her the most convincing smile that I could muster.

By the time I got back outside, other students had started to show up. I drove around, trying to follow the line of traffic. I was glad to see that my older truck wasn't that different from everyone else's, that there was nothing to flashy from what I could see. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still, I found a spot to park, and cut the engine, trying to avoid as much attention as possible.

I didn't want to walk around with the map in my face all day, so I tried to memorize it while I was still in the truck. I stuffed everything I thought I'd need into my bag and shouldered the strap. _I can so do this, _I sucked in a big breath and attempted to lie to myself. _Nobody wants to bite me. _I let out the breath and stepped out of the truck.

I made sure that my hood stayed up as I made my way onto the sidewalk already crowded with teenagers. Thank god that my plain black jacket didn't stick out like a sore thumb.

I was looking for building three, and as soon as I maneuvered around the cafeteria, it was easy to spot. I debated on turning around; I didn't want to be here. Was it too late to back out?

The classroom was small. There were hooks just inside the door for jackets and whatnot, and people were using them so I copied.

I took the slip to the teacher, a tall man with wacky light blue hair who identified himself as Dartz. He didn't hide his stare when he saw my name—I tried to hide my own discomfort—and I failed miserably. I flushed redder than a tomato. But he didn't make me introduce myself, and I was glad. That didn't stop people from gawking at me, though I sat in the back. I just kept my head down, paid attention to what we were supposed to be doing, and listened to the teacher drone on.

When the bell rang, a weird buzzing sound, a tall boy with brown hair and brown eyes didn't hesitate to approach me.

"You're Yugi, right?" He looked nice enough, and he wasn't calling me a freak yet…

"Yeah," I agreed, and people turned to look at me again, interested.

"What's your next class?" He asked.

I didn't know, so I checked in my bag. "Government, I guess, with Johnson, in building six."

I couldn't look anywhere without meeting someone's eyes.

"I'm on my way to building four, but I could take you at least that far…" He was definitely helpful, maybe too helpful? "I'm Tristan," he added.

I smiled hesitantly. "Thanks."

We grabbed our clothing off the hooks and trudged out into the rain, which was now more than a drizzle, but not quite pouring. Was it just me or were the people walking behind us trying to listen in? _Whatever, _I shrugged, trying to ignore it. Maybe I was just getting paranoid?

"So this must be different from Arizona, huh?" He pursued, trying to start a conversation.

"Very different."

"Does it rain much there?"

"Like, three or four times a year."

"Wow, wonder what that's like?" He wondered.

"Sunny." I knew I wasn't being very forthcoming, but I still wasn't very comfortable with everything going on yet.

"You aren't very tan."

"My grandfather says I must be albino."

He watched me for a minute, a little curious at my short answers, and I sighed. If I had to deal with this for a few months, I'd never be able to master the sacred art of sarcasm again. Humor didn't seem to work, and I figured that maybe the clouds made jokes boring and flat, because the ones I'd tried so far hadn't had any effect.

We headed back to the cafeteria, and went south from there. I found my class right next to the door, and Joey walked me to the door as if I couldn't read the clearly marked sign on my own.

"Good luck," he said, as I made to reach for the door. "Maybe you'll be in some of my classes." He looked as hopeful as he sounded, and once more I kind of felt bad for what must've seemed like a brush off earlier when he first introduced himself.

The rest of the morning was the same. I disliked my Trigonometry teacher, and it wouldn't have mattered if I had even liked the subject, because that teacher ruined my okay morning; not only did I have to take the class, but I had to introduce myself, and that was embarrassment central! I stammered and tripped on my way to my seat.

After a few classes, it was easier to put a name to some of the faces. There was always someone who introduced themselves and ask me some questions, and I really tried to be friendly, but I failed. I mostly just lied a lot, because I didn't have the right to admit I hated it here when I was the one who sentenced me here in the first place. One good thing came from it though; I never needed that map.

A girl who was my seat neighbor in Trig and Spanish walked me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was shorter than me, which was a surprise, because I wasn't very tall at five foot four, but that was a plus for me because again, it meant that I didn't stand out. I never remembered her name, so I faked a smile and nodded as she blabbed on about teachers and classes and stuff. I didn't bother to really listen.

She invited me to sit with her and her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot their names as soon as they left her lips. The boy from English, Tristan, waved at me from across the room. It was there, forced into a situation I only wanted out of, that I first saw _them_.

They sat in the corner of the room, the farthest table away from me. There were five of them, and they weren't really saying much, and they weren't eating either, but they all had food on their trays. It looked like it hadn't been touched. They didn't feel the need to gawk at me, and so I found it safe to stare at them without meeting an interested pair of eyes. But that wasn't what got my attention.

None of them looked alike. They were all boys, and none of them was really muscular or anything, but one was quite a bit taller and broad-shouldered than the rest, with brown hair combed back perfectly like he spent hours in front of the mirror (but he was someone you felt that could achieve that look in a minute or two). The rest were shorter, but one had black hair with gold spikes on both sides of his head, and although he was leaner, it was quite obvious he knew how to use the muscles that he had. What drew me to him the most was the tattoo marring the side of his face. The next boy stood out because of his pale skin tone and equally light hair; it was so silver that it was practically white, and it also spiked out all over the place. One of the last boys looked like he'd been to a very sunny place just recently, because he had a deep tan from what could only come from long hours in the sun, and bleach blond hair that fell down the sides of his face. The last was buried under a mass of black, red, and blond hair, just like me, except that his bangs were more prominent than mine, but unlike me, it didn't make him look like a freak, it was a look that seemed like something that only he could pull off. He looked younger than the rest, boyish even, than the others who all seemed to belong in a university, rather than here.

They didn't look alike in features, but they were all pale; the palest students living here, and the palest people I'd ever seen. Considering that I was albino, that was saying a lot. They all had very dark eyes despite how far away from me they were. I couldn't make out the color with the distance I was from them. They also had dark shadows under their eyes—bruises?—like they were all suffering from insomnia or had been in a fight just recently. But that couldn't be, because every one of their features, were straight, perfect, and angular.

But that wasn't the reason I couldn't force my eyes away.

I stared because the different range of faces, so similar but different, were all devastatingly, inhumanely beautiful. They were faces you only saw airbrushed onto a magazine, never in reality. I couldn't seem to decide who was most beautiful—maybe the blond boy, or the boy with the tri-color hair.

They weren't looking at each other, or anyone else, really. They seemed to be looking away from everything else. As I watched, the smaller boy with the tattoo stood and lifted his tray—with the unopened soda, and the untouched apple—and walked away with a quick strut that shouldn't belong to any boy; a model on the runway maybe, but never a boy who looked like he'd just come out of a fist fight. I watched him dump the products on the tray and glide through the back exit faster than I thought possible. My eyes slipped back to the others, hoping I hadn't been caught, but they hadn't moved.

"Who are _they_?" I asked the girl from Spanish, whose name I didn't remember.

She looked up to see who I meant—though I suspected she knew from my tone—and suddenly the thinnest, the boyish one, the one I though to be the youngest, looked up at her for a fraction of a second and his eyes met mine. He looked away very quickly, faster than I could in my embarrassment, even though I did it immediately. In the brief glance, he hadn't seemed interested at all—it just seemed like he'd heard his name and looked up as if answering the call, but not wanting to respond.

My 'friend' giggled in unease, and directed her gaze to the table like I had been doing.

That's Atem and Seto Maximillian, Malik Ishtar, Bakura Ryou, and the one who left was Yusei Fudo; they all live together with Dr. Maximillian and his wife." She said it under her breath.

I glanced again at the beautiful boy who was picking a bagel to pieces on his tray with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving in rapid-fire motion, but his perfect lips barely opened at all. The other three still looked away, but I felt he that he was speaking to them.

They were weird, unpopular names, I thought. Foreign names that gathered up attention all on their own, forget the faces they belonged to. Speaking of names, I finally remembered that my neighbors name was Rebecca, a perfectly common name. There were two girls with that name in my History class back home.

"They are…very…nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement, hoping it wasn't too noticeable.

"Yes!" Rebecca agreed with another giggle. "They're all _together_ though—Malik and Bakura, and Seto and Yusei, I mean. And they _live_ together." Her voice held an undertone of shock and contempt for the idea, but it would be like that anywhere you went. I guess that meant it would be a bad time to mention that I swung for the other team, then. Bets were on that she wouldn't appreciate the news as much as I wanted people to.

"Which ones are the Maximillians?" I questioned. "They don't look related…"

"Oh, they're not. Dr. Maximillian is quite young, in his late twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted."

"That's really nice of the Maximillian's to take care of those kids like that—especially when they're all the same age practically."

"Uh, well I suppose," Rebecca admitted reluctantly, and the impression came through that she disliked the doctor and his wife. I think it could have been jealousy with the looks she was sending at their adopted children. "I think Mrs. Maximillian can't have any children though," as though that detracted from their kindness.

Throughout all this new information, I kept sneaking glances back to the table where those strange, but beautiful boys sat. They continued to find the walls interesting and the food distasteful.

"Have they always lived here?" I asked. Surely I would have gotten a trace of them with all my summers here in Forks.

"No," she said like it should be obvious to everyone, "they just moved down from Alaska two years ago."

I was filled with pity and relief at the same time. Pity because, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted, and relief that I wasn't the only newcomer to this area, and I wasn't the one who deserved a lot of attention.

As I studied them, the youngest one of the Maximillian's looked up and met my gaze once more, and this time he appeared to be curious. I didn't want to be rude, so I looked away, and tried to understand why it felt that his glance had some of expectation that hadn't been satisfied.

"Which is the boy with the tri-colored hair?" I asked. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye, and was surprised to find him still staring at me, but not really gawking like everyone else had today—and the expression on his face was slightly frustrated. I looked away again.

"That's Atem. He's gorgeous, of course, but he doesn't date, so don't waste your time on him. I guess none of the girls are attractive enough for him." She sniffed, clearly disappointed. I wondered when he'd turned her down.

I tried to hid my smile by biting my lip, but when I glanced at him his face was turned away; but I thought I saw his cheek lifted as if we were smiling, and I just couldn't help but let out my own.

After a few more minutes, the four of them got up and left the table together. They were all noticeably graceful like the other boy who'd left earlier. It unsettled me, and discouragement settled in my stomach when Atem didn't look my way again.

I stayed at Rebecca's table longer than I would if I'd been alone. I didn't want to be late on my first day, and one of my acquaintances, who reminded me that her name was Tea, offered to walk me to my next class. I shared that class with her, and we walked to Biology II together. We walked in silence; she was shy too.

When we got there, Tea left my side to take her seat at a black-topped lab table. I was dismayed to see that she already had a neighbor. In fact, there was only one empty table, and my luck must have run out because next to the center aisle, I recognized Atem Maximillian by his unusual hair, sitting next to the single open seat.

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I watched him from the corner of my eye. As I passed him, he became rigid in his seat. He stared at me again with a hostile, furious look on his face—so different from the one in the cafeteria. I redirected my gaze quickly, shocked, and flushed once more. I almost tripped on a book laying in the aisle, and the owner of it laughed at my expense.

I'd noticed his eyes were a dark crimson.

Mr. Godwin signed my slip and handed me my assigned textbook and thankfully didn't make me embarrass myself with all the nonsense of introductions. I kept my eyes down as I took my seat next to _him,_ still completely at a loss for the hateful stare he'd been giving me.

I refused to look up as I deposited my book on the desk and took my seat, but I saw him slide his chair away and then lean backwards, sitting on the edge of his chair. He averted his face like I smelled bad, and I tried inconspicuously to sniff at my bangs. It didn't smell bad to me, and I was miffed to what his problem could be. I attempted to pay attention to the teacher.

Unfortunately, the lecture was on cellular anatomy and I'd already studied that.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally at the strange boy next to me. It's been forty-five minutes and he hadn't relaxed yet, as far from me as possible. I could see the hand on his left leg was clenched, and that never relaxed either. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his forearm was hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't as slight as I'd thought he'd be next to his brothers.

Because of the open animosity, the class seemed to drag on. It could have been because the day was almost over with, but I believed that _he_ had everything to do with it. I wondered what was wrong with him. Was this normal behavior? Maybe Rebecca had a right to be resentful today. Or maybe this boy had somehow found out that I was gay, and he was opposed to my preference. That was the only thing that I could think of, but I blew that one off; it couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me at all.

I peeked at him once more, and I regretted it. He was glaring down at me, his crimson eyes full of revulsion. I flinched away, and waited for the bell.

It humored me then, ringing loudly, and because I wasn't expecting it I jumped. Atem Maximillian was out of his seat—he was much taller than I thought—and he fluidly strode through the door before anyone else had stood up.

I couldn't seem to move, only stare after him. He was so mean, and it wasn't fair. I gathered up my things, suddenly filled with anger, and the hope that I wouldn't cry in front of everyone. I usually cried when I got too mad, and it never stopped humiliating me when it happened.

"Aren't you Yugi Moutou?" a male voice asked.

I looked up at a cute, baby-faced boy, his blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. At least he didn't I think he smelled bad.

"That's me," I nodded.

"I'm Joey."

"Hey, Joey."

"Do you need help finding your next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class too." He seemed thrilled, but I didn't think it was too much of a coincidence in a place of this size.

We walked together, and I learned that he loved to talk—he supplied most of the conversation. He'd lived in California until he was ten, so he understood my love for the sun. He was also in my English class, and he was the nicest person I'd met all day.

But even he managed to burst my bubble within a few seconds. "So, did you stab Atem Maximillian with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."

I flinched. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed, and it definitely wasn't his normal behavior. I played the coward card and pretended to have no idea what he meant.

"Was that my Biology partner?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, "he looked like he was in pain."

"I don't know," I answered, "I never said anything to him."

"He's a weird guy. If I were lucky enough to sit with you, I would've talked to you." I smiled at him before I entered the locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring, but nothing could ease the frustration I was feeling.

The Gym teacher found me a uniform, but he didn't make me change today. P.E. was mandatory all four years, and I wondered why the state felt it natural to subject it's students to hell. Forks in general took up that role in my life.

I watched four games simultaneously. I remembered how many times I'd received—and inflicted—playing volleyball. I was nauseous.

When the final bell went, I walked to the office to return the signature slip. The rain had let up, but the wind was colder and caused me to wrap my arms around myself. I got to the office building, and almost turned and walked out immediately.

Atem Maximillian was standing at the desk in front of me. I recognized his black, red, and blond spikes. He hadn't seemed to noticed me yet, and I waited my turn for the receptionist quietly.

He was arguing with her with a low, attractive voice, and I got the main point. He didn't want to take Biology anymore—any other class would suit him.

This could not be my fault. It had to be something entirely different, before I had even entered the room. It was impossible for him to dislike so much, so quickly.

The door opened again and suddenly the wind blew some of the papers around on the desk. The girl who had entered placed a note in the basket and left. But Atem Maximillian's back stiffened up and he turned slowly to send a glare my way—his face was unbelievably handsome—with thos piercing hate-filled eyes. I felt genuine fear, and it raised the hair on my arms. The look didn't last long, but it was colder than the wind outside. He turned back to the secretary.

"Never mind then," he said hastily, in a deep baritone, slightly husky. "I can see that Biology's the only choice. Thanks for trying." And he turned on his heel without another word or look at me, and disappeared out the door.

I did what I came to do, and got out of there as quickly as I could. I wanted today to be over with. When I got back to my truck, it was almost the last car left in the school yard. I sat there for a while, just staring through the windshield. But it was cold enough that I needed the heater to I turned the key in the ignition and fought tears the whole way back to Mokuba's.

****************************************************************

And that's the end of that one. I have the chapters all figured out, it just takes me a while to get up the motivation to type it. I'll try to get these out as quickly as I can, but no promises on that guys!


	3. Open Book

**T**he next day was better… And worse.

It was better because there was no sign of the rain so far. It was easier because I had a basic idea of what I could expect. Joey sat with me English, and he walked me to my next class. It was a nice thing to do because people were still staring at me (but there didn't seem to be as many interested today) and to be seen with me meant that you had to deal with the attention too, good _and_ bad. He even extended an offer to sit with him and his friends, so I ended up sitting with Joey, Tristan, Rebecca, and some others that I had an easier time of remembering who they were now that I was actually spending time with them. I wasn't alone anymore.

It was worse because like the night before, I slept very little last night. The wind blew against the house all night, and the boards creaked and snapped continuously because of it. It was worse because the hated teacher in the hated subject (Trig) called on me when I didn't have the answer, and it especially sucked when I was made to participate in volleyball because of my lack of co-ordination. I hit a few people, and sometimes even myself during my serve. It was worse because Atem Maximillian didn't feel the need to come to school at all today.

All morning that sick, anxious feeling of dread settled deep in my gut, and I feared that when lunch finally came around I'd have to endure his strange glares. I wanted to confront him; I wanted to know why he disliked me so much. But that idea was out the window as quickly as I had thought of it. I had never been willing to stand up to people like that, and in the face of all of that unfair anger he was sending my way, I figured that I'd crumble under the pressure for sure.

Lunch seemed to come a lot faster than it had yesterday, and when Rebecca and I entered the cafeteria, I tried to stop myself from looking over at the table that beautiful family had occupied yesterday. I was in luck. His four brothers were sitting there, but he was not among them, and I let out the breath that I didn't know I'd been holding.

Joey met us before we got to the table we'd sat at yesterday and re-routed us back to his own table. I could see that Rebecca was thrilled with all of this new attention, and it didn't take long for her friends to join us. Although it was nice to have a group of people that I could sit with and consider friends, I didn't relax the whole time. I kept fearing the moment he would arrive, hoping against hope that when he did come that he'd just ignore me like so many others, and that he wouldn't be so hostile today.

He didn't come. It should have made me feel better, but it had the opposite effect. I was on edge what seemed like the whole period.

But because of the no-show, I was more confident with myself on my way to Biology. Joey walked me to class like he'd been doing all day, but I didn't go in immediately. I sucked in a big breath and held it before I stepped through the threshold, but that was un-necessary. Atem Maximillian still hadn't showed. I exhaled and took my seat. Joey hung around for a bit, talking about a trip to the beach he'd been planning, but when the bell rang he departed to his own seat, though he smiled at me first. Joey was beginning to make me uncomfortable, because it was obvious that he was being a little too friendly, and that wasn't what I wanted. It was just something else that I didn't need to deal with; I couldn't handle one person hating me for an unidentifiable cause, and I definitely couldn't tolerate ruining what seemed like a great possible friendship on my second day. I'd never really gathered much attention at all, and now two unrelated people were giving me all the types I had never asked for.

I won't lie; I was relieved that Atem Maximillian didn't come to school. I knew it was dumb, but I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. It was egotistical to think that I could make anyone ditch class just by spending an hour with me, but what if I had?

After last period I managed to sneak out of the school and into my truck without Joey finding me—it was almost like he was a dog, what with how he always managed to sense my position, and I'd heard the name 'Mutt' being thrown around by some upperclassmen earlier. I sighed with relief when he didn't catch me, and dug through my bag to make sure that I had everything that I needed. I did.

Last night I'd noticed that Mokuba had problems with pretty much everything to do with cooking except boiling hot dogs, so I'd stepped into the role of chef for the rest of my stay, however long that would be. It was also obvious that a trip to the grocery store was on the 'To do' list, so I grabbed the cash from the jar labeled **FOOD MONEY** and I headed out.

I twisted the key of my truck into life and ignored the heads that turned my way. I reversed carefully out of my spot into a position in the line of cars waiting to leave the lot, but it seemed to be taking forever and so I diverted my attention while I was waiting. I saw Atem's brothers getting into their car. Of course it was that shiny new Volvo, and I realized with sudden clarity that it all made sense. Now that I looked at them, I spotted the clothes they were wearing—I'd been too attracted to their faces to see how exceptionally well they dressed; the clothes were simple, but they hinted at the make of a true designer. They could have worn dishrags and still looked great, what with the remarkable good looks and the style that they carried themselves with. _It's so not fair! _I complained to myself, _why were they gifted with both good looks and money?_ Actually, I knew life mostly always worked that way, but it was easy to see that all the money in the world wouldn't buy them acceptance here.

No. That couldn't be right. With their degree of beauty, the isolation must be all their doing.

They looked at my truck as it rumbled by, just like all the others. I kept my eyes on the way I wanted to go and exited the parking lot when it was my turn.

The Thriftway wasn't too far from the school, just like a minute or two south, off of the highway, and it didn't take me too long to find everything that I needed. When I got home, I unpacked all the groceries, and prayed that Mokuba wouldn't mind the placement (I'd just put them wherever there was room). I was getting quite hungry, so I placed some potatoes in the oven and decided on steak to go with them, so I marinated that and put it in the fridge.

While I was waiting, I dropped my stuff in my room and checked my e-mail. There were three messages in my inbox, all from the same person.

"Yugi," the first one started…

I expect to hear from you as soon as you get this. I mean it. Did you have a good flight? What about the weather there? Alexis says hi. Grandpa.

I snickered at his short attention span and read the next one, sent eight hours after the first.

"Yugi," he began…

I'm waiting. Are you expecting to wait for an eclipse before you write back? Grandpa.

The last one was sent this morning.

Yugi.

If I haven't heard from you before 5:30 today, I'm calling Mokuba.

I sighed. I still had an hour, but I knew grampa had no patience and he'd probably call before the designated time, so I started typing.

Gramp.

Everything's going great. Obviously it's raining; it doesn't seem to stop. School's not bad either, and I met some kids who are willing to sit with me at lunch.

Mokuba bought me a truck. It's so old, but it's sturdy (which is probably a great idea for me). I love it.

I miss you, and I'll talk to you soon, but you have to calm down with those e-mails; I don't check them every five minutes, you know! Relax. I Love you.

Yugi.

I was bored, so I grabbed a book I'd already read. It was _Wuthering Heights, _and it was on the reading list for my English class, so it was a good thing to do. It didn't bother me to read it again; I really liked the book anyway. That's what Mokuba found me doing.

I'd lost track of the time, and I scampered down the stairs desperately hoping the potatoes hadn't burned, and I was rewarded when I pulled them out to see they were just fine. I put the steak in to broil.

I welcomed Mokuba home, and asked what was for dinner.

"Steak and potatoes," I told him, and he nodded.

He seemed uncomfortable standing there watching me, so I shooed him away to watch TV while we waited for supper. It made everything easier, and I occupied myself with making a salad and setting the table.

We ate in silence for a bit, and it wasn't an awkward silence, but even Mokuba felt compelled to break it after a while.

"So how'd school go? Did you make any friends yet?" He questions when he went for seconds. I took that as a good sign that I had at least made a decent meal.

"I have a few classes with a girl named Rebecca. I sat with her at lunch, and then there's this boy, his name's Joey, he's really friendly. Everyone seems nice." There was only one exception, and it was an excessive one.

"That must be Joey Wheeler. He's nice—great family. His dad owns the sporting goods store right outside of town. He gets lots of money from the tourists who hike through here."

"Do you know the Maximillians?" I asked quietly, a little tentatively.

"Dr. Maximillian's family? Oh yeah. Dr. Maximillian's a great man."

"Uh … The kids are … well, a little different. They don't seem to fit in very good."

Mokuba's face shifted into a mask of anger so suddenly I wondered what I'd said.

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Maximillian is a great surgeon who probably has the opportunity to work anywhere, make a lot more money, but yet he chooses to stay," he added, his voice rising in volume. "We're lucky to have him—lucky his wife wanted to be in a small town. He's one of the biggest assets in this town, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts when they first came, with five adopted teenage boys, and I thought they might cause problems, but they're all quite mature—there hasn't been any problems. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who've lived here for multiple generations. They stick together the way a real family should—they camp together every other weekend. People only talk because they're so new here, I think."

I was in a state of shock. It was the closest thing to a speech from Mokuba I'd ever heard. I guess he was just passionate about the current topic of conversation.

That wasn't where I meant for the conversation to go, so I attempted to steer it back into a nicer area. "They seemed nice enough to me, they just don't involve themselves that much, you know? They're all very attractive," I threw in, trying to calm him down by being complimentary.

"You should see the doctor," Mokuba laughed. "It's good that he's happily married. He causes quite a distraction among the nurses when he's around."

It became silent again. This time Mokuba helped me clean up. He cleared the table while I went to work on washing the dishes. It didn't take us long, and once Mokuba was done with his task he parked himself in front of the television. That left me to myself again. I tried to find something to do, but the only thing I could think of was completing my dreaded math homework. I hoped this wouldn't become a tradition.

When bedtime rolled around, it finally cut me a break. I was able to fall asleep quickly that night, and I didn't wake up until my alarm went off the next morning.

By Friday, school was an easy to follow routine. My classes were easy to remember, and I could recognize and name almost everyone in the school. By the end of the week, my volleyball team had already learned to keep the ball a fair distance away from me. I was happy to stay out of everyone's way.

Atem Maximillian didn't come back to school.

Everyday I was worried about what would happen when he came back. Everyday he was still a no-show. The Maximillian's all entered the cafeteria without him. When that happened I felt the tension ease out of my body and found that it was easier to join in the conversations going on around me. Today my friends were discussing the trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Joey had been planning for a while. I was invited, and I agreed to go, more out of politeness than anything. I liked beaches; they were hot and dry. But it just didn't sit right with me because it meant I'd have another reminder of how much I missed Arizona.

Friday was easy. I wasn't worried that Atem would be back, and I was perfectly comfortable. For all I knew, he might've even dropped out. I tried not to think about it, but no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I was still worried that I was his problem. That I was the reason he wasn't coming back to school.

So that was pretty much my whole week. It passed without any major upsets, except the fact that Mokuba didn't spend much time in the house when I was around. He was still unused to be having anyone sharing his space, which meant he spent a lot of time in his office. I helped around as much as I could by cooking and cleaning, but that didn't last long. There was only so much to do around the house before I ran out of chores I could complete. The plus side of that was that I got ahead of my homework, with plenty of spare time. I e-mailed my grandfather again, and dropped by the library to see what they had. _Not much, _I concluded. I didn't bother checking any books out, just made the decision that I'd have to go to Seattle and look around their bookstores.

It didn't rain too much that weekend, so I had a some restful sleeps while I could get them.

Monday was a change. People actually stopped to say hi to me. It's not like I knew all of their names, but I wasn't going to complain. I smiled and waved back and continued on my way. It was colder, and it wasn't raining, which meant that I was a pretty happy camper. In English, Joey appeared by my side again, and we had a pop quiz on _Wuthering Heights_. I'm not going to lie; it was pretty easy.

All in all, everything was coming together to make me feel really comfortable. It was more than I could have expected.

But it didn't last. When English was over, I was dismayed to see frozen swirls of white dropping down from above. Everyone was shouting excitedly to each other, but I was too busy paying attention to the wind that bit at my cheeks and my nose.

"Yuck." Did I mention that I hate snow more than I hate rain? Yeah, well, there goes my good day.

Joey was surprised. "You don't like snow?"

"Nope. It means it's too cold for rain." Duh.

"Have you ever even seen snow before?" He asked in amazement.

"Of course!" I huffed, but relaxed. "Uh, only on TV though."

He didn't bother to hide it when he full out laughed at me. That was the point when someone threw a ball of squishy, wet, doom in his direction and smacked him right in the back of the head. We both turned to see who threw it, but we both had a vague idea that it had been Tristan before we'd even looked, and we spied him walking away. That didn't stop Joey from forming his own snowball and preparing to throw.

"I'm going to go to lunch now, alright?" I started my trek inside as I spoke. "Once people start throwing wet stuff I try to make my escape."

He didn't say anything, just took aim at his target.

All morning I had to listen to my peers chattering excitedly about the snow; I guess it was the first one of the year. I kept my mouth shut. I didn't see what was so great about it at all.

I was paranoid as I walked to the cafeteria, making sure to keep my eyes out for rogue missiles. I had my binder in my hands just incase I needed to use it to protect myself. Rebecca couldn't get enough of it; I was the funniest thing she'd seen all day, but the expression on my face warned her it probably wasn't the best idea to lob one at me herself.

Joey caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing while he tried to save his spikes from coming unglued with the melting ice weighing it down. He and Rebecca were talking about the snow fight as we moved into the line for food. Out of habit, I glanced toward the corner. My heart stopped, and I froze on the spot. I hated math, but that didn't mean I couldn't count; there were five people sitting at that table.

Rebecca tugged me back to reality.

"Hello? Yugi? Are you getting anything?"

I dropped my gaze to my feet. I was nervous, but I didn't really have a reason to be self-conscious. I had done nothing wrong.

"What's with Yugi today?" Joey asked Rebecca.

"Nothing," I responded. "I only want a soda, though." I caught up to the end of the line.

"Aren't you even a bit hungry?" Rebecca asked.

"Actually, I feel somewhat sick," I said, my eyes still on my shoes.

I waited patiently while they picked out what they wanted, and then tagged along as we found ourselves a table, eyes on my feet the whole time.

My stomach rolled and churned. I assured my friends I was feeling okay, but I couldn't help but wonder if I could squeeze out a little lie and escape to the nurses office for an hour or two. It was chicken, I know, considering that I had the chance to deal with something that had been plaguing me for a week, but that didn't mean that I _wanted_ to face it.

That was stupid idea. I would _not_ be forced to run away.

It took me a while, but I finally decided on a plan of action. I'd peek over at the table, and if he was glaring at me, I'd skip Biology. Just like the coward I was.

I kept my head down, but snuck a glance from under my eyelashes. Not one of the brothers were looking my way. I lifted my head just a bit.

They were laughing. Atem, Yusei, and Bakura all had their hair entirely soaked with melting snow. Seto and Malik were leaning away as Bakura shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the day just like everyone else—only they looked like they belonged in a movie scene, definitely not Forks high school.

But, aside from the playfulness and laughter, something else was different. They all seemed more human, sure, now that they were animatedly involved in something I'd never imagined them doing, but that wasn't it. I examined Atem the most carefully. He wasn't as pale as he had been, I thought. Maybe it was flushed from the snow fight—the circles under his eyes even were less distinct than last time I'd seen him. I knew I was staring, but I couldn't stop myself as I pondered.

"Yugi, what's got you so interested?" Rebecca snapped me back to reality, and her eyes followed my line of vision.

At that precise moment, crimson met violet.

I dropped my head. I was sure, though, that his eyes hadn't been unfriendly in that instant that our eyes had met. It seemed as if he was merely curious once more, in that weird unsatisfied way he had.

"Atem Maximillian is staring at you," Rebecca pointed out like I didn't already know.

"Is he mad, do you think?" I questioned.

"No," she replied, a little confused by the question. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me very much," I admitted. I was still queasy. I laid my head in my arms and wondered how my day went so wrong so fast.

"The Maximillian's don't like anybody…well, they don't really pay enough attention to like them. But he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him," I demanded in a whisper.

She snickered, but she listened and refocused her attention on the conversation happening right next to us. It's a good thing; I was willing to go as far as violence if she refused.

Joey interrupted us then—he wanted us to participate in this massive battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school. Rebecca agreed almost instantaneously, and I declined that 'epic' battle. I'd have to either hide in the gym or make it to my truck early. I did notice that the way she looked at Joey told me that she'd do whatever he wanted in a heartbeat.

For the remaining half hour of lunch I attempted to very carefully keep my eyes away from the corner. I knew that I'd have to honor the deal I'd made earlier; the one where I'd agreed to go to Biology since he didn't look all that mad. Just the thought of it sent my stomach onto a roller coaster of flips and turns at the scary though of sitting next to him again.

I avoided my daily walk with Joey. He was all wrapped up in getting hit by snowballs, but when we got to the door there was no traces of the snow. The rain had taken over once more. I pulled my head up, but I couldn't help the secret happy dance I was doing in my head. Now I could take my time getting to my truck after gym.

Joey never stopped complaining until we reached building four.

My table was empty when I got there. I guess my luck was getting better with each passing minute, but the question became: would it stay that way? Mr. Godwin was distributing one microscope and some slides at each table, and that was bad news. My partner…didn't exactly like me. I wondered how it would turn out until the class started, and I wondered if he'd even show up. I avoided looking at the door and just doodled on my notebook while I waited.

"Hello," said a quiet, but deep baritone, slightly husky.

My head shot up, stunned that he had made an initiative to speak to me. He sat as far away as he could while still making use of the table, but he'd angled his chair to face my direction. His hair was saturated with water, and it was dripping and disheveled—even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair products. His dazzling face was open and friendly, with a slight smile playing his flawless lips upward. His eyes were guarded, carefully watching for something.

"My name is Atem Maximillian," he continued. "I didn't get to introduce myself last week. You must be Yugi Moutou."

My mind was running rampant in confusion. Was it just a product of my imagination that he'd been so hostile? I wasn't crazy. Was I? He was perfectly polite at the moment and he was waiting for me to say something, so I tried to get my mouth to move. The only problem was that I couldn't think of anything to say.

"H-How do you know who I am?" I stuttered.

He laughed, deep and enticing, and I was caught.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. They've been talking about you for weeks now."

I flinched. I'd figured it was like that.

Thankfully, Mr. Godwin estimated it'd be a good time to get on with the class now. I tried to concentrate on what he was saying as he explained today's lab. The slides were all mixed up and as partners we had to identify correctly the phases of mitosis. We couldn't use our books, and the cells were from an onion root. He gave us about twenty minutes before he'd move around the room to see who had gotten it right.

"Get started," he commanded.

"You first, partner?" Atem asked me. I looked up to see him smiling at me crookedly, and I hoped that I wasn't drooling or staring so obviously at his beautiful face so much so that he'd notice.

It took me a while, and I think he wondered if I had a brain buried somewhere underneath all my hair, because after a minute he said, "Or I could start, if you want."

"No," I said, as red as a tomato. "I'll go."

I'd already done this lab at my old school, so it was hard not to show off. Because I knew just what I was looking for, it would be a piece of cake. I slid the first slide under the microscope and adjusted it to the correct objective lens. I studied it quickly, but made sure that I knew which one it was before I answered.

I was confident when I told him that it was Prophase.

He didn't think I knew what I was doing. "Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I started to remove the slide. Just as I was pulling it away his fingers caught mine to stop me, and I jerked away. Those long fingers of his were ice-cold, like they'd been held into a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't the reason I pulled back so fast. When he touched me, it felt as though an electric current passed through us.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, pulling his own hand back immediately. He didn't stop reaching for the microscope, though. I watched him, still astonished, as he glanced even faster than I had.

"Prophase," he agreed, penning it neatly onto the sheet. He switched the first slide for the next one, and then took his turn looking at it.

"Anaphase," he identified, writing that down, too.

I tried not to sound a little snotty, still kind of offended he hadn't believed me earlier. "May I?"

He smirked and let me look.

I was eager to prove him wrong, but I was upset when I saw that he was right. _Crap._

"Next slide, please." I held out my hand without even a glance in his direction.

He handed it over; cautious not to come in contact with my skin again.

I took the quickest look I could manage.

"Interphase." I slid it over before he could ask. He took a swift peek and then wrote the answer down.

We finished before the rest of the class was even halfway done. I looked around at the different pairs and saw that Joey and his partner couldn't decide between two slides and kept checking them over and over, trying to make their final assessment. Another pair was cheating with their book open under the desk.

I sighed, because all that meant that there was nothing to do but try not to glance over at him. Let's just say that it failed. I glanced up, only to find him starting at me again, with that same look of frustration he'd had earlier. It hit me suddenly, that I knew what was different.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out without thinking, and then snapped my mouth shut, embarrassed with how my mouth had moved faster than my brain could tell it to just _shut up._

He seemed to mull over my surprise question, and it was obvious he was quite shocked, if the expression on his face said anything. "No," he said slowly, as if he had returned to the earlier thought of mental discrepancies.

"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

He shrugged and diverted the topic in question.

I was sure that something had changed about them. There was no mistaking that dark crimson they had been the last time I'd seen them—that day he'd sent more than one dirty look my way. That color definitely stood out, especially against the pale skin tone he had. Today they were a great degree lighter, with that same crimson tint. I didn't understand how that could be right, unless he was lying about the contacts. I just couldn't begin to believe that I might be going crazy. But why would he lie?

I looked down at my hands in my lap, but I didn't miss the fact that his were clenched into fists against his jeans again today.

Mr. Godwin dropped by then, just because we weren't working. He checked our answers over our shoulders, and left us to our own devices when they ended up right.

Atem tried to make more small talk. "It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" he asked. It was almost like he was just forcing himself to do this. I wondered if he'd heard the conversation I'd had with Rebecca at lunch and wanted to prove us wrong, but I discounted that immediately. He was all the way across the room. There was no way that he heard from that distance.

"Not really," I admitted. I didn't want to lie to him now that he was taking the chance to get to know me, so I was honest. I couldn't concentrate, plus the fact that he already seemed to dislike me. I didn't want to add fuel to his fire by lying to his face.

"You don't like the cold." There was a frosty, hard edge in his voice, like he'd suddenly distanced himself.

"Or the wet," I supplied.

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live, then," he mused.

"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.

He looked so amazed by what I'd said, but I couldn't imagine why. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it. At least, I didn't look more than would be considered polite.

"Why'd you come then?"

He was the first one who had bothered to ask me that—so bluntly, demanding as he was being.

"It's…complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he urged.

I paused. I didn't think I really wanted to explain this to a boy I'd just met, a boy who wasn't exactly the friendliest to me. But I didn't know how to decline politely enough. I looked up to try and make some kind of excuse, but I made the mistake of catching his eyes.

"My grandfather is dating a girl that's quite a bit younger," I blurted out before I could help it.

"That isn't _too_ complicated," he disagreed. "When did this happen?"

"September of last year." My voice nearly cracked, and I hoped that he wouldn't catch it.

"And you don't like her," Atem assumed, his tone pressing for details.

"No, Alexis is nice enough, the age isn't all that comfortable. I think she's like, thirty some."

"If you like her, why didn't you stay?"

I couldn't pinpoint why he was so interested, but he never stopped staring at me with those piercing eyes of his, and although I didn't want to be all that forthcoming with my answers, they made me feel like I had to tell him more about me, as if I was important to him.

"Alexis doesn't stay in one place too much. She plays soccer for a living so…" I trailed off and half-smiled.

"Have I heard of her?" He grinned at me.

"I doubt it. She doesn't play in the big leagues or anything, strictly minor, you know?"

"And your grandfather sent you here so he could travel with her." He didn't ask, just stated it like it was a fact again.

I hesitated. When I thought about, it didn't even really make sense to me, but I knew it would work out in the end, and everyone involved would be happier. Except me, but that was a small sacrifice I was willing to make. "No, he didn't send me anywhere. I volunteered to come on my own."

His smile fell from his face and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I don't get it," he admitted, frustrated by that fact.

I sighed. Remind me again why I was bothering to explain myself to this guy? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.

"He stayed with me at first, but I could tell that he missed her. It made him unhappy, so I figured it would be a good idea to spend some time with Mokuba." My voice was glum when I was done.

"But now you're unhappy," he mentioned.

"And?" I demanded, maybe a little too harshly.

"It just doesn't seem fair, that's all," he defended, shocked by my sudden mood change. But his eyes didn't loss any of the intense emotion, and it was obvious I hadn't scared him off or anything, like I'd thought I would.

I laughed, a little dryly. "Has anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

"I believe I _have_ heard that somewhere before," he agreed at last.

"So that's it," I insisted, disconcerted by the fact that throughout everything he hadn't stopped staring at me.

His gaze changed into a calculating one before he replied. "You're a good actor," he said slowly. "But I'm willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I frowned at him, resisting the mega desire I had that wanted me to stick my tongue out at him and act like I was five, but I only turned away instead.

"Am I wrong?"

I didn't reply, and he took that as a no.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

"What does it matter to _you_?" I drilled, irritated. I watched Mr. Godwin sneak around the classroom, peaking at the assignments going on all around the room.

"That, Yugi, is the best question I've heard all day," he muttered, so quietly I almost didn't catch the reply. He didn't say much of anything else, so I guessed it was the only response that I was liable to get from him.

I scowled again, facing the chalkboard.

"Am I annoying you?" He was very clearly amused.

I glanced at him again without using my brain first… and ended up being honest. "Not exactly, I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read—my grandfather always calls me his open book." I frowned.

"I actually find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd ended up telling him, he truly sounded like he couldn't figure me out.

"You must be a very good reader then," I responded.

"Usually," he grinned, flashing a set of perfectly straight, ultra-white teeth.

When Mr. Godwin called for attention, I was relieved. I couldn't believe that I'd pretty much spit out my whole life story to this beautiful boy that may or may not hate me. He'd seemed so into our conversation earlier, but now I could see him leaning his torso away from my area, his hands clenching the table in front of him with clear tension. He didn't have to hold that position for long, though I felt like it wouldn't have mattered to him if he had to stay that way for the rest of his life, because the bell rang. Atem left just as swiftly as he had a week ago, and I stared after him in amazement.

I watched as Joey practically skipped to my side and grabbed my stuff. We chatted some more, and we were actually on the same team in gym for the first time. He didn't only play his own position, but covered for me as best he could whenever he got the chance.

The rain had stopped when I got to the parking lot, but there was still mist hanging around in the air. I couldn't bring myself to be upset, but that didn't mean that my mood didn't get better once I was tucked away in the cab of _The Thing_. I shrugged out of my jacket and checked to make sure it was clear for me to leave. I guess that's the time when I noticed Atem leaning against the shiny silver Volvo, three cars down, staring in my direction. I switched into reverse and pressed on the gas a little too hard, almost hitting a Corolla in my hurry to get out of the situation. I slammed onto the brakes just in time to spare an accident, because god knows I didn't need that kind of really bad luck so early in the week, or at all, really, because my truck could have annihilated that tiny Toyota, and I was flat broke. Or practically. I sucked in a deep breath, and took another shot at pulling out. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but I could swear he was laughing at me.


	4. Phenomenon

**A**fter the relatively good day I'd had yesterday, I had high expectations for today and by no means was I disappointed. There was no rain or mist hanging around outside my window, though it wasn't sunny, but my spirits had raised dramatically. That was until I actually dragged myself out of my bed and snuck a glance out my window. There wasn't even enough time to say the words of dread before I'd buried myself in the covers of my bed with a pillow covering my head and screamed in frustration.

It had snowed last night. Everything was covered; my truck, the houses all around the neighborhood, and the road. But that wasn't what really bothered me. The ice that had developed from yesterday's rain had crystallized and hung from every available tree limb, and I could see that it covered the driveway, too. I didn't have the necessary co-ordination to walk on the pavement without slipping; how would I ever make it to my truck without breaking my neck?

I wailed internally. _I'm going to die before I even turn eighteen! Why does the world hate me so much?_ But I knew that I'd have to go. I couldn't use a lame excuse like, 'Oh I'm sorry, Mokuba. I could've snapped my spine in the five feet from the doorstep to my truck,' so that meant that I'd have to brave a possible suicide and attempt the impossible; keep myself on my own two feet as I made an attempt to reach my trusty transportation.

When I pulled myself down the stairs after showering, Mokuba wasn't there. It wasn't annoying, or awkward, being alone in the house I hadn't been in for three years; just calming, and I enjoyed it while I grabbed a granola bar and slid into my jacket and boots. Though the snow kind of turned me off about the whole leaving the house thing, I felt excited to get to school. I was excited to see _him,_ although it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that he was the last thing I needed in my life, especially after my little bout of word vomit. Actually, word vomit doesn't even cover it. It was more like splattering my entire life story all over a billboard and being all 'Hey, I want attention, so give it to me!' experience. It was totally embarrassing! But something was really ticking me off. Why would he lie about his eyes? Even despite the fact that he'd toned down all his open anger towards me, it was crystal clear that he'd definitely only relaxed a fraction of an inch around me, and he wasn't willing to give me the same courtesy I'd offered him. Of course the fact that he left me a stuttering brain dead idiot when he smiled at me. His league and my own were spheres that were never meant to touch. Therefore, I shouldn't be worried to see him at all, because I should be avoiding him by all means.

I shook my head and pocketed my keys as I finished locking the house door behind me. I needed every ounce of concentration that I could get on my precarious trip through the fires of hell. In a matter of speaking. Today was going to be the living embodiment of Satan. No. Freaking. Lie.

I avoided thinking about Atem and my fear of falling as I drove to school by pondering about Joey and Tristan. It was obvious that boys here seemed to like me more than they had back home, and the only thing I could come up with was because maybe something in my looks had changed, or maybe they were just desperate. I didn't _think_ I looked any different, so the second must be true. I think that I preferred being ignored over this any day.

When I reached my destination, I noticed a silver glint on my tires when I got out. Had I drove over something? When I examined it carefully by pulling myself along the length of the truck I realized that the glint had been the clean silver chains wrapped around the tires. Snow chains! Mokuba must've put them on before work. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the tears I felt coming. Nobody had attempted to take care of me like that for a long time, and the unspoken concern threatened to overwhelm me.

I stood there for god knows how long just staring at the chains before a "Hey, fag! What'cha lookin'at?" rang out clear across the parking lot. I ignored it, only because it wasn't my business, but felt pain sear through my chest moments later. My chin smarted against the side of my truck, and I concluded that I was being supported by my collar, while simultaneously being pressed against the side of my old Toyota.

"I was talkin' to you, squirt," a voice hissed quietly in my ear, "and you never ignore me. You got that?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat but didn't say anything, and nodded quickly. I noticed that Atem Maximillian was standing over by the entrance to the school, quite a distance away, but he was staring at the scene with a mix of anger and fear. He was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched. I stomped down the nauseous feeling, and focused on my current problem.

How did he know? I hadn't said anything, so how did he know? The question repeated itself rapid fire in my brain several times. Then he started speaking again.

"I don't think I've met you yet, but I have a feeling that you and I are gunna be great friends." A sick feeling settled in my gut. This guy clearly wasn't a person I wanted anything to do with! "My name's Ushio. Want me to explain to you why I think we'll be great friends? No? Oh well, let me tell you—." "I really don't—" He continued un-interrupted only because he ignored my insert, but he spun me around to face him so he could watch my face as he spoke. "I think we'll get along because you seem like the type of guy to do lots of favors for people, you know what I mean?" This was the point where his smirk became downright lecherous, and that only added to the massive mountain of disgust I already felt towards him. "And I like it when I can get someone to do any—"

_Snap!_

I had no doubt that everyone could see how exceptionally wide my eyes were, but it surprised even me. Not even the discomfort in my rear from hitting the pavement was breaking through the awe I was feeling. A few seconds ago Ushio had been pretty much declaring that he'd torture me, and the next a fist connected sharply with his jaw and sent a sickening cracking sound through the air. But it wasn't the punch that had floored me. Atem Maximillian stood over him, with his hand clenched in a fist, and those piercing crimson eyes of his were wild and dangerous.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He snapped frigidly, and Ushio was scrambling away in seconds despite his large size. So fast that I couldn't believe it. I couldn't hide my shock and a little fright from showing on my face when he finally turned to face me again. I couldn't get my mouth to work properly, and so I just stood there gaping at him like a fish for what felt like a year.

Everyone was staring, and I lowered my head, but I definitely heard Atem Maximillian's deep, frantic voice close to my ear.

"Yugi? Is everything okay?"

"It's fine," I responded, and it came out as a squeak, still a little freaked out from the whole situation. I clapped my hands over my mouth and winced when the side of my face let out a low throb. It didn't escape him, because he gathered my hands in one of his and tilted my face with his other to expect it for any damage.

"You have to be careful," he warned as if it was my fault all along. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but his fingers didn't move from my chin, not even a little. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

"It hurts!" I complained, still trying to move away.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," he supplied, trying to hold back what I thought might have been amusement.

"How…" I trailed off. I didn't quite know how to get the words out without sounding like an idiot, but I needed to know.

"How did you get over here so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Yugi. I was here the whole time." His tone was serious, and there was a sharp, defensive look in his eyes.

When I tried to move this time he let me. He stepped back and stared at me with a concerned, but definitely innocent expression, and I was disoriented by the force of those eyes. What was my question again?

That's when everyone who'd been staring at the whole scene started crowding around to see if everything was alright

"Don't move, Yugi," someone instructed, and I only complied because of the cold hands on my shoulders.

"Stick around for now."

"But it's cold," I whined. He kind of snickered at me, but I noticed that there was a hard-edged undertone to the sound.

Something hit me with amazing clarity that I found amazing, considering that I was still a little shaken up from the whole conflict. "You were over by the school doors," I murmured, and the chuckle froze in his throat.

His expression was hard. "No, I wasn't."

"I saw you." I knew that I hadn't been seeing things. I was right and he'd admit it before I let him walk away from this conversation.

"Yugi, I was standing here with you the whole time," he insisted, releasing the full penetrating power of the stare on me. It was almost as if he was trying to make me understand something he couldn't necessarily say. Almost as if he didn't think I understood that he was trying to avoid admitting that he'd just done something unbelievable.

"No." I insisted.

The crimson in his eyes flashed. "Please, Yugi."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Just please, trust me," he pleaded quietly, trying not to be overhead.

"Only if you promise to explain it to me later," I relented, accepting his help to stand.

"Whatever," he snapped back, sick of arguing with me.

"Fine," I retorted.

It took ten minutes and a lot of arguing about going, but after insisting that I go to the hospital, Atem managed to load me into his car, with me pouting and quiet the whole five minutes it took for me to get settled inside the vehicle. I crossed my arms and stared out the window, and Atem didn't attempt to speak to me.

I trained my attention on his family, looking on from the spot that Atem had come from, with a mix of different expressions on their faces. They ranged from disapproval to fury, but none of them really seemed concerned about the fact that their brother had just gotten himself on the wrong side of a bully that was more than twice his own size. They hadn't noticed anything odd about the situation at all.

I couldn't think of anything that would explain the situation—well, that's a lie; the only explanation was that I was crazy, but I discarded that one immediately.

When we got to the hospital, Atem attempted to open my door for me, but I beat him to it, refusing to even look at him. He sighed, but entered the hospital ahead of me, and although I thought of running in the direction that I came from, but I'd gotten this far and I couldn't turn back now.

He was waiting inside the door, ready to lead me to the emergency room. I followed him, but don't think I was happy about the fact that I was already becoming friendly with the long room that had enough room for a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains and a sign that identified itself to me as my own personal hell. I mean, it was only my second week, and here I was already. I was really getting sick of hospitals.

A nurse checked my blood pressure and took my temperature, and soon enough they wheeled me away to take an X-ray of my head. I told them there was nothing wrong, and I ended up right. There was no concussion in sight. I asked if I could leave because there was no visible problems, but they made me wait until a doctor could see me. That meant that there was a chance I'd be here a while, and so I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax.

"Is he sleeping?" A musical voice asked, somewhere close to the bottom edge of the bed. My eyes shot open.

Atem smirked at me from his station near my bed. I glared at him—or attempted to; ogling was one of the natural reactions that someone was prone to when in his presence.

"So what's the verdict?" He asked me.

"Nothing wrong with me at all. They won't let me out of jail until I see the boss," I complained.

"Well then, good thing I came to spring you, what with all my connections," he winked.

Then the doctor on hand walked around the corner, and my mouth gaped open, feeling a little like jello. He was young, he had shoulder-length silver hair…and he was definitely gorgeous. He was just as pale as Atem, and also as tired-looking, with those familiar circles under his eyes. I didn't need to be a genius to figure out that this was Atem's father.

"So, Mr. Moutou," he began in a really attractive voice, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I responded, for what was hopefully the last time.

He clicked on the lightboard for my a chance to examine my X-rays, and checked them out.

"Your X-rays look good," he agreed. "Does your head hurt? Atem says it took quite the beating."

"It's fine," I repeated with a sigh, throwing a dirty look at my companion.

The doctor's cool fingers prodded slightly at the crown of my head. It didn't escape his notice when I winced.

"Tender?" He questioned.

"Definitely not the worse I've had," I admitted.

A chuckle floated through the air next to me, and I looked over to witness a patronizing smile sliding its way onto Atem's face. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Well, everything looks to be fine, so Atem will take you home if you want. But be sure to come back if you experience any dizziness or trouble with your eyesight."

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, not wanting to endure Mokuba's questions (only in the rare event that he happened to be home).

"Maybe you should take it easy today."

I glanced at Atem. "Does _he_ get to go back?"

"Someone has to spread the good news that you didn't lose any brain cells when you beat your head off the side of your truck," Atem said smugly.

If I had been giving him a dirty look before, it was nothing compared to the one I was currently sending his way. I thought about the phrase _if looks could kill _and wondered if it was actually possible.

"You could always stay here," Dr. Maximillian joked.

"No, no!" I insisted, forcing my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too wuickly—I almost lost my balance, but Dr. Maximillian caught me. He looked concerned.

"I'm fine," I repeated once more. I didn't really think it was necessary to tell him that my balance problems were an issue long before I'd ever had my head viciously slammed against the side of my truck.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested, as he steadied me.

"It doesn't really hurt anyway." I insisted.

"It sounds like you were very lucky," Dr. Maximillian said, smiling as he signed my chart with the go ahead to get out of here.

"Lucky Atem was standing with me the whole time," I added with a hard glance at the subject of the statement in question.

"Yes," Dr. Maximillian agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him as he headed toward the exit of the emergency room. As soon as he'd left the room, I spun around to Atem's side.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I demanded. He stepped away from me, his jaw clenched.

"I'd really like to speak to you, if you don't mind," I continued. He didn't answer me as he turned around and strode out of the room. I was jogging when I managed to catch up with him down the hall, but slowed down as we turned into a smaller hallway for privacy.

"What do you want?" He asked, sounding annoyed. His eyes were guarded, but the cold expression was one he couldn't cover up.

The unfriendliness of the situation intimidated me. It was almost as if we were back to square one; that hostile look he'd given me on the first day was exactly like he one he wore now. Because of this, when I finally managed to open my mouth, the words that flowed forth lacked any backbone. "You owe me an explanation," I reminded him.

"I don't owe you anything—I saved your life."

I flinched backwards a step or two at the open resentment in his voice "You promised."

"No, you assumed I would tell you what you want to hear. I _have_ told you; you hit your head, Yugi. You don't know what you're talking about." His tone sliced through me.

My temper came out full force, and I glared defiantly back at him. "There's nothing wrong with my head."

He glared back. "What do you want from me, Yugi?"

"I want the truth," I said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you."

"What do you _think_ happened?" He bit out.

It came out in a rush.

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me—Ushio didn't even see you, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard, either. You were all the way across the yard, and there's no way you could've gotten to me that fast. And he—Ushio could've flattened you! You're so small and—" I could hear how crazy I sounded, and I couldn't continue. I was so mad at him that he'd undermine my intelligence that I could feel the tears coming; I grit my teeth together and hoped that would be enough to prevent them from falling.

He was staring at me incredulously. But his face was tense, defensive.

"So, what? You think I just used some freaky super power and made it to your side in seconds? Teleported? That maybe I have super human speed?" He demanded with a tone that sounded like he wondered if I was off my rocker, but it only made me more suspicious. It was like a perfectly delivered line like he'd had to use it before.

I only nodded once, my jaw tightly clenched.

"Nobody will believe that." His voice held an edge of derision.

"I won't tell anyone," I admitted, slowly and carefully controlling my anger.

Surprise twisted the anger almost completely off his face. "Then why does it matter?"

"It matters because I don't like to lie—so there better be a good reason why I'm doing it," I insisted.

"Can't you just thank me and let it go?"

"Thank you." I waited, expecting him to come out with it.

"You won't let this slide, will you?"

"Nope," I replied.

"Then I hope you enjoy disappointment."

We scowled at each other in silence, both refusing to give in. I was the first to speak, trying to retain my concentration. Even when he was livid, that face of his was perfection. It was like trying to stare down an angel.

"Why did you bother?" I asked frigidly, turning away from him to stare down the hall.

He paused, and I could hear him sigh from behind me.

"I don't know," he finally replied.

And then he walked away.

I was so mad at him that it took me a few minutes to move. When I could walk, I made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway and realized my ride home had just ditched me. _Nothing is going my way today!_

It was with a heavy heart that I made my way to a payphone, called Mokuba for a ride, and sat tense and uncomfortable in the cruiser when he finally arrived to take me home. I answered his questions, leaving out the part where my savior had been at the other end of the school yard, and cooked supper.

I decided that going to bed early that night wasn't a bad idea, if only because Mokuba kept watching me anxiously just in case something went wrong, and I finally gave in when it got on my nerves. I stopped in the washroom on the way to my room and grabbed three Tylenol. They knocked me out after the pain in my head began to ease, and I fell right to sleep.

That was the first night I dreamed of Atem Maximillian.

********************************************

Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. The next update might be a while coming because I'm cycling between this story and my other one, as well as the fact that I've got a lot of things that need to be done, but I'll try my best to get it up as soon as I've written it. I won't lie, I don't have any idea how much time that will take.

And, as I'm sure you all know already, I don't own Twilight or Yu-Gi-Oh; I'm just twisting them around to fit my own purposes.


	5. Invitations

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Twilight.

Please remember this story does contain language some would find inappropriate, so if you feel you may be offended please either turn back or read at your own discretion.

* * *

Invitations

The only thing I really knew was that it was dark. Like, really dark. But as I got used to the lack of light, I noticed something very bright sparkling nearby out of the corner of my eye. Within seconds it became blinding, and my eyes squeezed shut, but it didn't last for long. Once the extra light had left me, I took a minute to figure out my surroundings.

I wasn't alone. The light seemed to be radiating from Atem's current area, although there was just as much blackness hugging his form. He was a distance away from me, and even after I shouted his name there was no response. So, I did the only other thing I thought would get his attention: I ran towards him. Only, the weird thing is that no matter how fast I ran, or far I seemed to make it, I couldn't reach him. He always so far away from me.

That's why when I woke up sweating and wondering where the dream had come from, I couldn't get back to sleep for the rest of the night. After that, he was in my dreams every single night, and always too far away. It really freaked me out; first of all, what was going on? Why did these creepy dreams keep coming? Secondly, I hardly even knew the guy. Why would I be dreaming about him? I mean, it's not like he was anything special. But no matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around the whole situation.

Because of my lack of sleep and the accident, the next month was really uneasy, tense, and, as the _are you okay's?_ slowly stopped piling in, it became less and less embarrassing each day.

Basically I found myself being everybody's favourite new gossip. It was hard to dodge Joey; he seemed to pop out of nowhere when I wasn't expecting it. Not only that, but I was sure I'd seen the biggest bully in school lurking around some of the corners just waiting for me. It could be that, or maybe it was just me being paranoid.

That's the idea I went with until lunch today, at least until I had to run to the washroom. I'd stepped halfway into the room before I noticed Ushio washing his hands. It struck me as weird because he was just one of those people that others assumed lacked in hygiene. I tried to sneak out before he saw me, but he must have heard the door swing shut, which I realized I'd let go of as I was internally sweating bullets, because he turned around to face me. I swear, the evilest expression lit up his face when he saw who had interrupted him.

"Ah, Yugi. My favourite little fag-rag." The smirk on his face was practically visible even as I closed my eyes and tried to pretend it was all a very bad dream. He stalked towards me and eventually, my back was introduced to the wall behind me. Ushio took up a place between me and the door, placing hands on both sides of my head, so even an attempted escape was most likely futile.

"It's great to see you after our time was cut so short. I haven't noticed you around anywhere in the last month. You been avoiding me?" He asked slyly, but to me it sounded like he was demanding an answer.

"Uh, of course not! I mean—I've just been a little busy, that's all," I supplied, hoping it didn't sound as fishy to him as I knew it was.

He surveyed me quietly for a moment or two, and then a more sinister expression came over his face. "Well, that's no problem then. But you hurt me, Yugi; I thought we were pals. You know what that means? You gotta do me a favour, else I won't forgive you."

This is the part where I admit I almost peed myself. I was so terrified he was going to ask for something I wouldn't be able to give him, or get me to do something horrible.

"Why don't you just give me your lunch money? After all, you gotta get the first date outta the way before you expect anyone to take off their clothes for ya." Ushio snickered, his tone full of malice, before adding in, "It's not like anyone else would date you anyway."

I knew by now that it probably wasn't a good idea to mess around with this guy, so I dumped all five dollars I had brought for lunch into his outstretched hand and scrambled out of the bathroom, pretty much running until I got to the cafeteria door where I stopped to even out my breathing and calm myself down. Everyone was there when I got there, which meant I'd been held up longer than I thought.

No one seemed concerned about Atem, even as I continued to explain just what he'd done the first time Ushio had assaulted me—how he was he hero. They couldn't figure out why I was repeating myself; they already knew he'd scared the crap out of the bully. I kept forgetting that I wasn't supposed to say anything about how Atem wasn't even in the area when the confrontation had started, that to them it must've seemed like he'd been talking to me before. It just didn't add up; how could they have imagined him there when he hadn't been? The pieces were too warped and twisted to fit together properly. The only thing I could even begin to believe was that nobody else was paying enough attention to know where he was and where he had been; I was quite aware of him even when I didn't want to be.

Let's just admit it now: I'm pathetic.

Atem never had the same problem as me this past month. There was never a curious bystander waiting to hear his firsthand account, and maybe it was because people were realizing that it really wasn't a huge deal; people got beaten up everyday. Who _really_ cared about the new kid? He was he lucky one because people avoided him as usual. Him and family sat undisturbed, as always, not eating, just talking quietly to themselves at the same table that they usually did. None of them, not even Atem, glanced in this direction anymore. As a matter of fact, he hadn't even spoken to me since I'd refused to accept his bogus excuses a month ago.

Even during Biology when he sat by me, as far away as possible, he acted like I didn't exist. There were only a few times when his fists would clench up and turn bone white that I noticed he wasn't so unaware of me.

It made me feel like throwing up, or crying, or screaming. He wished he'd let me get my ass kicked that day. There wasn't any other explanation.

I wanted to talk to him. I'd tried; the day after the incident, actually. But all that had occurred was big fat nothing. He ignored me, but considering how mad we'd both been leaving the ER after I'd almost gotten my nose broken, it made a lot of sense.

It just pissed me off that he didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth. I'm still mad, but he'd saved me from a world of pain, no doubt about it. The anger's been fading slowly, turning into gratitude along the way, but they're both still there, fighting for dominance over my feelings.

"Hello, Atem," I greeted politely, just to let him know I'd play nice today.

He didn't bother to look at me, the jerk, but he did nod to show he understood.

That was it. The only real contact we'd had in the past month even though he was close enough to touch each day. I watched him sometimes, only because I couldn't stop myself, from a distance. Usually in the cafeteria, or in the parking lot. Places that he couldn't tell who I was looking at if I thought I was going to be caught staring. I watched those ruby eyes darken each day. But if he wanted to pretend that I didn't exist, well, two can play that game. In class I acted like he wasn't there either.

I won't lie. I was pretty miserable. And the dreams didn't stop either.

I tried to sound upbeat and cheerful, but even the tone of the e-mails I sent Grandpa alerted him to the state of my emotions. I wouldn't say anything about it, so he even tried calling me. I felt bad, but I lied and said the weather was really depressing and I hated it.

Tea, however, saw an open opportunity to step in when it became quite obvious that all conversation between my lab partner and I had stopped. I think she was worried that having Atem stand up for me and rescuing me from the clutches of the evil dragon would make me fall in love with the knight in shining armour, and she was relieved when the effect was completely opposite of what she was expecting. She didn't just leave me at my lab bench; now she even went as far as to sit on the end of it until the teacher began the class, ignoring my partner completely as he ignored us. I felt bad, because Rebecca said Tea was crushing on me. How could I tell her that I liked guys?

After that one day of hell, the snow disappeared completely. This meant that everyone was excited that the beach trip they'd been planning would now be possible. But let me tell you, though we didn't get no more snow, the rain refused to let up as the weeks passed.

Rebecca made sure that I knew about the Spring Dance. She wanted to ask me if I minded her going with Joey. I let her know that I wasn't even planning on going, so it was fine. Don't even try to imagine the horror; I can't walk straight on a daily basis, there's no way I could dance!

"Oh come on! It'll be totally fun!" As excited to have me go as she sounded, I knew she was faking it. I think she enjoyed all the attention I gave her more than my actual company.

"Just go and have fun with Joey," I encouraged.

It didn't work out. She was quieter than usual the next day, and I feared that she'd been rejected, although she refused to comment. If that boy turned her down …

Turns out, he did. They sat as far away from each other as the table would allow, and for once Tristan caught the brunt of all her attention.

Lunch was pretty awkward, so when it finally ended and we all split up to go our separate ways, I walked quietly to Bio with Tea and Joey trailing along by my side.

"Rebecca asked me to go to the dance with her," he jumbled out when we got to my lab bench. Tea simply slipped past us to her own seat. As always, Mr. Best Personality was already there, sitting close enough that I felt a chill run down through me.

"That's great," I replied, and watched his face shift into confusion. "You'll have a lot of fun together."

"Well…" He broke off as if he was unsure of how to say what was on is mind, clearly unhappy with my response. "I told her I had to have some time to think about it."

"Why'd you do that?" I questioned, letting my disapproval show through, even if I was actually relieved he hadn't given her a straight no.

His face flushed red with embarrassment as he went on to say "I was really hoping that you…well, that you might ask me."

I halted for a minute, not sure how to feel. Okay, so I didn't like him that way, but it still made me feel pretty guilty all the same. But I felt like doing a victory dance when, out of the very corner of my eyes, I noticed Atem angle his head in our direction and I took note of his narrowed eyes.

"Joey, I think you should say yes," I said.

"Are you going with someone already?" He almost demanded, panning his eyes in Atem's direction. I wondered if my partner even noticed.

"No," I assured him, "I'm not going at all. I have some other plans." I hadn't wanted to get into all my safety concerns, so I forced my brain to figure out something convincing to do in case he asked. Which he did.

"I'm heading into Seattle that day." Which, wasn't a completely horrible idea. I _did_ need to leave Forks for a bit, and it was the perfect time.

"Isn't there another weekend you could go?"

"Sorry, not possible," I replied. "So you shouldn't make Becca wait any loner—it's rude."

"Yeah, guess you're right," he mumbled, before he turned and left for his own class. I felt really bad, but there wasn't anything I could do about the situation, so I let it fall. Just after that Mr. Godwin started roll call.

And that's when I caught Atem staring at me. Really staring. This time, though, there was that same familiar edge of frustration that always seemed to shine through visible in his black eyes.

I took advantage of the moment and stared right back, waiting for the moment he'd look away because I knew he would. Only, he didn't. Now there was no question; I couldn't look away. My fingers trembled, though they were buried warmly in my sleeves.

"Mr. Maximillian?" the teacher called, waiting for an answer to a question I'd missed.

"The Krebs Cycle," Atem answered, appearing reluctant as he turned his attention to look at Mr. Godwin.

I flipped through my textbook to find our place as Atem dropped my gaze. It was crazy; my heart was beating like mad, and I felt lightheaded just because of the first true eye contact in the last month and a half. His influence over my actions truly was unfair. It was plain pathetic and super unhealthy.

That's why I put extra effort into ignoring him for the rest of the period, and because it was impossible, I just attempted to give _him_ the impression that I was totally unconcerned with him. When the bell finally rang, I turned my back to him and grabbed up my things, expecting for his inevitable disappearance.

"Yugi?" Okay, so I know I just got done saying it, but it really was unfair. Even after six weeks of no contact, his voice was so familiar; like I'd known it all my life.

I swiveled my head, as if to appear casual. I didn't want to feel the way I normally do as his too-perfect face became the center of my field of vision, but even now, after seeing how rude he could be, the power that was so raw and purely _him_ hit me smack in the face. I didn't bother turning around completely, just my neck and shoulders. I raised an eyebrow.

"What? Decided to stop being childish and speak to me again?" I heard the unintentional disapproval in my voice.

His lips twitched, seemingly fighting a smile. "That's not really it," He admitted.

I felt anger begin trailing from my feet all the way up to my forehead. It had been happening a lot lately. I took a deep breath to calm down, and he waited.

"Then what is it?" I couldn't help but snip. My eyes were squeezed shut; it was easier to talk to him this way.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

I looked at him. He really was serious.

"I don't get it," I said, finally. "What's the joke?"

"No joke. It's better if we're not friends," he explained.

My eyes narrowed and pain slammed through me. I'd heard _that_ before. Amazing, after all these years it still hurt so much. So I did the only thing I knew how to; block out the pain with hostility and fight back.

"It would've been so much easier to figure that out sooner," I hissed, clenching my teeth. "Could've saved yourself all this regret."

"Regret?" He reeled back, as if unsure of what to think. "Regret for what?"

"For not letting that stupid porker just smack me around."

There was no hiding the astonishment. He was staring at me disbelievingly.

When he finally figured out what he wanted to say, he almost sounded pissed. "You think I regret saving you?"

"I know that you do!" I snapped.

"You don't know anything," he returned, definitely ticked.

I turned to stomp away from him, biting my tongue against all of those accusations I was just itching to throw at him. So you know what I did? I strode to the door, ready to make this huge dramatic and completely awesome exit, but you know me. I ended up catching my toe on the doorjamb and lost my grip on my books. By this point, I thought of just leaving them, but _he'd _already neatly stacked them and everything.

"Thank you," I said icily, taking the pile.

"You're welcome," he snipped.

I turned away again and stomped off to the dumbest class on earth without so much as a backwards glance over my shoulder.

Well, there's nothing much to say about Gym, except that it was, like normal, really freaking brutal. We'd finished volleyball, so now it was time for basketball. By now my team had learned not to pass me the ball, but I think I broke the world record for the amount of times tripped in a day. Of course it didn't help that homicidal thoughts were hopping around in my head like bunnies on steroids. I tried to concentrate, but Atem kept creeping back into my thoughts just when I thought I'd be able to keep my balance.

When the final bell rang, I almost ran to my truck, but I staunched the urge simply because doing a face-plant on the pavement would really suck. Especially today.

I believed I might be having a stroke when I noticed the tall, dark figure lounging against the side of my truck, but it turned out to be Tristan.

"Hey Tris," I called.

"Hey Yugi."

"What's up?" I questioned as I unlocked the door. Any fool that had any brain cells could tell that he was definitely uncomfortable, so his next words took me by surprise.

"Uhm, I was just wondering if you maybe…wanted to go to the dance with me?" His voice shattered on the last word. It sounded kind of squeaky.

"I thought it was girl's choice," I said, too startled to be diplomatic.

"Well, yeah but in case you haven't noticed, neither one of us are girls," he pushed out, shamefaced.

"Well yeah," I replied after I'd regained my composure. I tried to keep my smile warm. "Thanks for the invite, but I'm going to Seattle that day."

"Oh," he said, "maybe next time then."

I bit my lip, then agreed. I hoped he didn't take it too literally.

He slouched off, back towards the school. I heard a low chuckle. Atem was walking past the hood of my truck, looking straight ahead and lips pressed together. I yanked the door open so quick, I thought that if I was just a little stronger it would come off the hinges and jumped in. The door slammed loudly behind me. I reversed out of my spot. Atem was in his car already, two spaces in front of me, pulling out. _The jerk cut me off!_ He was waiting for his family; I could see the four of them walking in our direction. I considered acting like a violent driver and ramming his Volvo in irritation, but there wasn't any way I could get away with it. Too many witnesses around.

It seemed like forever until the whole family was in the car and Atem was speeding away. No matter how aggravated I was, I drove slow and careful, muttering the whole way.

When I got home, the first thing I did was make dinner. It was a long process so it would keep me busy. The phone rang while I was baking the potatoes, so I ran to get that.

It was Rebecca, and she was back as her high-spirited self. Joey had let her know that he would go with her after school. I celebrated for a short while, but then she had to tell the others all about it, so we hung up. After that I tried to concentrate on dinner. I didn't want to go back the hospital so soon, thank you very much. But it was a challenge because my head was throbbing, quickly trying to process everything Atem had said today.

What the heck did he mean?

My stomach twisted as I figured out what he must've meant. He must think I'm obsessed with him; he must not want to lead me on; he must not be…so we couldn't even be friends… because there was no way he liked other guys.

_Of course he wasn't interested,_ I thought. _There's nothing special about me at all. I'm not interesting. And he is. And brilliant … and mysterious … and perfect … and beautiful … and possibly able to cross a parking lot in like, a second._

Well, that was fine. I made a new resolution to just leave him alone. I'd get through my own self-imposed stay here in Hell Hotel, and then hopefully when I graduated I'd receive a scholarship to somewhere totally awesome.

Mokuba seemed to be suspicious when he smelled supper as soon as opening the door, but he didn't say anything about it. We just sat down to eat.

"Mokuba?" I asked when he was done.

"Yeah, Yugi?"

"I figured I should tell you that I want to go to Seattle for the day a week from this Saturday… if there isn't a problem?" I felt like I could make my own decisions, but didn't want to sound rude to I added it on..

"Why?" He sounded surprised, like the idea that there was something Forks couldn't offer was outrageous.

"Well, I want to check out the bookstore and maybe buy some new clothes." I had a lot more money than usual, all thanks to Mokuba buying me the truck I'd been saving up money for. Not that the truck was cheap on gas, or anything.

"The truck probably doesn't get very good mileage," he echoed, like he was reading my mind. It was slightly creepy, but I chose not to comment on it.

"I know. I'll stop whenever I need more," I replied.

"Are you going alone?" He asked, and I wasn't sure if he was worried about car trouble or the possibility that I was sneaking off to visit a secret boyfriend.

"Yeah."

"It's a big city—you could get lost."

"Mokuba, Phoenix is ten times bigger. And I _can_ read a map, so there's no reason to worry.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

I had to find a clever way to hide the horror welling up inside.

"That's alright, Mokuba. I'll probably just be in dressing rooms all day—so boring."

"Oh, alright then," He replied, imaging sitting in a women's clothing store for the day.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Will you be back in time for the dance?"

Ugh! Only in a small town would an unmarried man know when the dances are.

"No—you know that I don't dance."

He understood, and didn't bother pushing it on me. "Oh, that's right."

The next morning when I got to school, I purposely parked as far away from the silver Volvo as possible. The temptation to smash in the rear end of the vehicle was still seething on the top of my mind like a poisonous cloud. As I was getting out I accidentally dropped my keys into a yucky puddle at my feet. I bent to pick them up and almost had a heart attack. A white hand had flashed out and grabbed them before I could. I jerked straight up. Atem Maximillian was right next to me, leaning against my truck.

"How do you _do_ that?" I demanded, just a little irritated.

"What?" He asked innocently, dropping my keys into my open palm.

"Appear out of thin air."

"Yugi, it's not my fault you don't notice what goes on around you." His voice was soft and quiet today; all the anger of yesterday absent. The velvety tone remained strong and deep.

I scowled at his perfect face. His eyes had lightened up again. A rich, bright crimson. I had to look down at my feet to sort out my jumbled thoughts.

"And there's no way I'm pretending you don't exist," he announced.

"So you _are_ trying to irritate me to death? Since Ushio didn't do the job?"

Anger flashed in those rubies. He wasn't amused anymore—his lips were pressed into a single, hard line.

"Yugi, you are utterly silly," his voice was icy and low.

I felt like slapping him. I honestly did, but he was too tall. The urge surprised me; usually I wasn't violent. I turned and walked away for the second time in two days.

"Wait," he called, but I kept walking. My boots sloshed angrily through the mud puddles in the pavement ruts. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace.

"I'm sorry. That was rude." He said as we walked. I ignored him. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude for me to say it, anyway."

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I whined.

"I wanted to ask you something, but you distracted me," he chuckled. Well, nice to know he found me so amusing that he'd be laughing at me now.

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked quite seriously.

"You're doing it again."

I sighed. "Fine then. What did you want?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday—you know, the day of the dance—''

"Are you trying to be _funny_?" I demanded, spinning on my heel to face him. "Because you aren't."

His eyes were wickedly amused, "Will you just let me finish for once?"

I bit lit and squeezed my fingers together, just in the rare case that I felt like doing something that I absolutely should NOT do.

"I heard you were going to Seattle that day, and I wanted to know if you wanted a ride."

Well. That was different. Certainly unexpected.

"What?" I couldn't figure out what he was getting at. What was the catch?

"Do you want a ride?" He repeated.

"With who?" I asked kind of stupidly.

"Myself, obviously." He enunciated very slowly, as if I was a small child who didn't understand.

I was still stunned.

"_Why?"_

"Well, I was planning to go anyway, and I'm not sure your truck can make it.'

"My truck is just fine, thank you very much." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to be mad.

"But can your truck make it one tank of gas?" He matched my pace again.

"I don't think that's any of your business," I replied kind of snottily. Your own fault though, Stupid Shiny Volvo Owner.

"The wasting of resources is everyone's business."

"Honestly, Atem." I felt an electrical wave shoot through me as I said his name, and I hated it. "I can't figure out what's up with you. First you say you don't want to be friends, and then you're practically begging to go to Seattle together."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I don't want to be."

"Oh, thanks so much. Now that we've covered that issue." I think everyone noticed my heavy sarcasm. I realized we had stopped walking again. We were under the cafeteria rood now so I could look up into his face without the rain pelting in my eyes.

"It would be more … _prudent_ for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Yugi."

His eyes were so intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I know that I forgot how to breathe.

I couldn't find my voice, so I just nodded.

He smiled quickly, then became serious.

"You really _should_ stay away," he warned, "I'll see you in class."

Then he abruptly turned away and walked back the way he'd come.


	6. Blood Type

I managed to get my feet to work just well enough so that I could drag them to class. I collapsed into my seat when I reached it, not even noticing when the teacher stopped talking to reprimand me for being late.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr Moutou," Dartz, the wacky English teacher admonished.

I flushed and sunk further into my seat, laying my cheek on the worn and chipped veneer of the desk I had dropped into.

It wasn't until my peers started filtering out of the room before I realized class was over and Joey hadn't been sitting in his usual seat next to me. Immediately I felt the stirrings of guilt, and also of embarrassment, because I really didn't want to explain what had me acting like a complete mental case. But he was waiting at the door with Tristan when I finally convinced myself to move. For the first few minutes Joey kept quiet as we walked, but the more time passed, he couldn't help himself and gained enthusiasm as he explained that the rain was supposed to take a quick break, and that maybe the trip to the beach he'd been eagerly awaiting for weeks now might be possible after all.

I tried to sound just as happy about it (and I was, about the rain letting up) to make up for turning him down yesterday, but it was still a stretch. Raining or not, it still wouldn't be very warm, even if we were lucky. I frowned. I had the tendency to bring about the wrong kind of luck.

The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. I spent a lot of it contemplating whether or not I had just imagined Atem's mysterious change of heart this morning, and how he had looked at me. Maybe it was just a very convincing dream that I'd confused with reality. Again. Because that definitely seemed more probable than the ridiculous notion that me, a tiny, weak little shrimp really appealed to someone who was pretty near perfect. If he wasn't already there.

This, coupled with my guilt about Joey, made the morning just a little upsetting. Also, the closer it got to lunch, the more I felt like I was going to throw up out of pure fright. I was scared that when I looked at his face, I'd see that cold, indifferent boy that I'd known the majority of the time I had been here. That reason was also the reason that I was anticipating our next meeting. I wanted to confirm that I'd really heard him right when he said he _wanted_ to be close to me. Rebecca babbled on about the plans she had for the dance – Tea and Mai (a tall blonde girl that thought she was the best thing ever created) had asked some boys to go with them and they were all going to have a _blast_ – she didn't even notice I couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Disappointment flooded my insides as my eyes landed on his table. Like those days so long ago when it seemed like he'd rather murder me than hold a conversation, there were only four people. He was nowhere to be found. Had he left? I followed Rebecca through the lunch line, hurt. I'd suddenly lost my appetite – Rebecca tried to get me to actually buy something to eat, but I nabbed a bottle of water instead. All I wanted to do was go sit down and sulk.

"Atem Maximillian is staring at you again," my companion said, managing to break through my fog with only a name. "That's weird. He's alone today."

My head snapped up. I followed her line of sight to Atem, smiling crookedly at me. He was staring again, from an empty table all the way across the cafeteria from where he normally sat with his brothers. Once he'd caught my eye, he raised one hand and motioned for me to join him with his finger. There really wasn't an excuse for the disbelieving (and totally unattractive) look of shock on my face. He just winked at me. Cheeky thing.

"Does he mean _you_?" Rebecca asked, more than a little astonished.

"Maybe he needs help with Bio," I murmured. Not only for her benefit, but because I was trying to piece this puzzle together. "Uh, guess I'd better go check it out."

Her eyes drilled a hole in my back the closer I got to the table.

When I got there, I stood behind the chair closest to me, more than a little unsure.

"Why don't you sit here today? With me?" he asked, smiling. I sat down a little robotically, watching him like a hawk. I was pretty sure something had happened to him since I saw him last this morning, because I wasn't aware anyone could smile that big. Let alone Atem Maximillian. But, there was no denying that I was finding it hard to believe that someone as beautiful as he was could even be a reality. I figured that if I turned my head for even a split second, he might disappear in a sudden puff of smoke, and I would wake up with the imprint of my watch digging into my face from where I had slept on it in class.

He waited for me to say something.

"This is... new," I finally managed to force out.

"Well..." He paused, and before I knew it, I was pretty sure that I had gone completely crazy, because his next words surprised me (but then again, when did he ever do anything that didn't surprise me?) but also made me happy, if not a little more than confused. "I decided that as long as I was going to hell, I might as well enjoy the ride."

There was a long pause where I waited for him to elaborate or say something that made any bit of sense.

Finally, I realized it wasn't going to happen.

"Huh? There was no way I understood any of that." I pointed out, staring blankly.

"I know." He smiled again, and then changed subjects. "I think your friends are angry with me to stealing you away from them."

"They'll deal with it." I could feel their stares burning through my back still.

"Too bad," he laughed. "I might not give you back," he said with a wicked glint in his eyes.

I might've almost choked. But if anyone ever reminds me, I'll deny it.

He laughed again. "Are you worried?"

"No," I said immediately, but it came out as a squeak.

"Just surprised – what changed your mind?"

"I told you – I'm tired of trying to stay away, so I'm giving up." He was still smiling but the scarlet of his eyes were sharp and serious on my face, just looking for a reaction that might indicate I was more than a little freaked out.

"Giving up? Do you even know what that means?" I asked.

"Yes – giving up trying to behave. I'm going to do what I want, and let things happen the way they were meant to." His mouth slid back into a neutral position, and that hard edge crept into his voice.

"Uh, you lost me. Again."

It didn't take much for that mind-blowing smile to reappear.

"You know, my biggest problem when you're around is not being able to keep my mouth shut."

"Don't worry. Most of what you say has me confused," I said wryly, but flushing after I realized what had just come spurting out of my mouth.

"That's what I'm counting on."

"So, in English, you're my friend now?"

"Friends..." he mused contemplatively, teasingly.

"Or not," I frowned.

He smirked. "Well, let's try that. But I've told you, I'm not a good friend for you." Behind that sweet smile, the warning stuck, weirdly ominous considering how many times I'd brushed it off as nothing in the past.

"You know, you're always saying that to me." I noted, trying to contain the fluttering of my stomach and to prevent any further squeaks or uncool sounds from leaving my mouth.

"Of course, because you don't seem to listen to what I tell you. If you're smart, you'd leave me be."

"I think that's enough of you calling me stupid," I intoned, more than a little dryly. My eyes were narrowed.

It looked like he considered apologizing, but decided it wasn't anything to worry about.

"So, as long as I'm not being... smart, we can try to be friends?" I clarified.

"Got it in one," he announced.

I considered this while I fidgeted with my fingers. After it was clear that that conversation was over, I had no idea what to say to him.

"What are you thinking?" he questioned curiously.

I lifted my gaze from my fingers into those deep ruby eyes, became enthralled, and as usual, there was no stopping the word vomit.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are."

His jaw clenched, but he forced the smile to stay on his face.

"Any leads?" he asked slowly in a tone that hinted disinterest. But I knew better.

"Not really," I replied seriously.

He chuckled. "Give me one of your better theories."

I flushed. I had been debating the possibility within the last month that he was some kind of superhero. But this was unrealistic, and way too embarrassing, so I clamped my teeth together in a desperate effort to keep the words in.

"What? Are you embarrassed? You know you can tell me," he smirked, tilting his head to the left, with a shockingly innocent look in those tempting eyes.

I shook my head quickly. "Yeah right!" I scoffed, "Never going to happen."

"That's _really_ frustrating," he complained.

"Really?" My eyes narrowed. "I can't _figure out_ why that would frustrate you at all – just because someone doesn't tell you what they're thinking, even if they spend the whole conversation making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you awake at night wondering what to make of them... now, why would that be frustrating?"

He flinched.

"Or better," I went on, all those weeks of aggravation coming to the surface, "say this person can do a wide range of bizarre things – from moving impossibly fast to treating you like scum the next, and he never wants to explain any of that, either, even after promising. _That_ would also be frustrating."

He regarded me calmly for a minute, checking to see if my tirade was finished. "You've got a bit of a temper, then?"

"I hate double standards."

We stared at each other neutrally.

His eyes flickered over my shoulder, looking beyond it. He snickered, looking quite amused.

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm harassing you. He's debating whether or not to come get you." I raised an eyebrow, but he just carried on chuckling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, "but I'm sure you're wrong either way."

"About a boyfriend? You don't go that way?" His eyes were quite serious again, assessing my reaction to the question, and maybe also my reaction to the thought of one of my friends liking me as more than that.

I considered the best way to answer this, because I was quite sure he was digging for a specific answer. "I don't have a boyfriend." I finally settled on.

"Well then," he announced, "I can tell you that he certainly wants to be. I can read people, remember?"

"Except me."

"Yes, except for you." His mood turned suddenly, more curious than anything. "I wonder why that is."

The glance he was directing at me was so intense, there was no other option but to turn my head. I concentrated on opening the seal of my water bottle, which I had not touched since I bought it. I took a swig, directing my gaze to the table, but stared unfocused, almost as if I was looking right through it.

"Aren't you hungry?" He murmured.

"Nope." There was no need to mention that my stomach was already full – of butterflies. "You?" I returned, looking at the empty table in front of him.

"No. I'm definitely not hungry." I was lost again, because the expression on his face seemed to say he was enjoying a private joke.

"Can you do me a favour?" I asked, hesitating slightly.

He turned to look at me, but his face was guarded. "It depends on what you want."

"I just ... can you ... warn me next time you don't want anything to do with me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared." I looked pointedly at my water bottle as I said this, tracing the rim with my index finger.

"That sounds fair," he agreed, pressing his lips together not to laugh at me.

"Thanks."

"Then will you do me one in return?" He demanded.

"Okay."

"Tell me _one_ theory."

Uh oh. "Something else."

He frowned. "You didn't specify, but you promised an answer," he reminded.

"You break promises all the time!" I retorted.

"Just one – promise I won't laugh."

"Yes. You will." I knew he would.

He looked down, and then glanced back up at me through his bangs, his crimson eyes scorching.

"Please?" he breathed, leaning close.

I blinked, and I could've sworn I suddenly had a concussion, because nothing my brain was coming up with made a lick of sense, other than _holy, how can anyone be that hot? _How was that any fair? He knew exactly what he was doing to me!

"Uh, what did you want?"

"Please tell me just one of your many theories?" He repeated.

"Um, bitten by a radioactive spider?" So what? Now he knew hypnosis? Or was I doomed to be a helpless, lovesick little schoolgirl forever in the face of Atem Maximillian?

"That's not very creative," he snorted.

"That's all I could come up with," I said, not willing to admit it even if I did have something else.

"You're not even close," he teased.

"No spiders?"

"Nope."

"Oh thank heavens. No radioactivity?"

"Not any."

"Darn," I sighed.

"Kryptonite doesn't affect me either," he chuckled.

I felt like smacking him on the arm. "You promised not to laugh!"

He struggled to get his face under control.

"You know that I'll figure it out," I declared, as a warning.

"I really wish you wouldn't." He was serious again, completely straight faced.

"Because...?"

"What if I'm not as great as you think? What if I'm the bad guy?" He smirked playfully, but his eyes were impassive.

"Oh." It was the best I could come up with, as several things he'd hinted fell into place.

"Do you?" he demanded, as if he'd suddenly thought I'd figured him out or he'd said too much.

"You're dangerous?" I guessed, pulse racing as I realized the truth of those words. He _was_ dangerous; he'd been telling me that all along. It was certainly easy to imagine that he, with his dark beauty, his more than impressive speed, and the muscles that were quite obvious to anyone looking, could be dangerous.

He just gazed at me, eyes focused with an emotion that I couldn't understand.

"But not bad," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, I don't believe that you're bad."

"You're wrong," he said so softly I had to strain to hear. He dropped his eyes, stealing the cap to my water bottle before spinning it on it's side between his long fingers. I continued to watch his face, wondering why I could feel so safe with someone so obviously trying to scare me off. He meant everything he said – it was obvious. But I just felt anxious, on edge, and fascinated to learn as much as I could about him. The same feelings he'd always evoked in me.

The silence didn't break until almost everyone had left for class.

I jumped up, grabbing my things. "We're going to be late."

"I'm not going today," he replied, twirling the lid so fast I couldn't even see it.

"Um, why not?"

"It's not healthy to go to class all the time." He smirked up at me, but his eyes were still troubled.

"Well, I'm going then." I told him. I was too much of a coward to admit that I'd rather just go with him.

He turned back to the bottle cap. "I'll see you later, then."

I hesitated at the door, indecisive, but then the bell rang and I chickened out, hurrying to class – but I glanced back and he hadn't moved at all.

As I ran to class, thoughts were flying so fast through my head I had no idea what was what. Sure I'd had a few questions answered, but those answers only opened up the possibility of more questions. But hey, at least it wasn't raining anymore.

I was lucky; Mr Godwin wasn't anywhere in sight when I got there. I settled into my seat as fast as possible, aware that Joey and Tea were watching me. Joey looked upset; Tea was surprised and more than slightly awed.

Godwin came in the room then, demanding everyone's attention. He was carrying a few cardboard boxes in his arms. He put them down in front of Joey and asked him to begin passing the contents out.

"Okay, everyone, grab one piece from each box," he ordered as he yanked a pair of rubber gloves out of the pocket of his lab coat. He snapped them on. The sharp sound in the quiet of the room made quite a few students jump. To me, it just seemed ominous. "The first is an indicator card," he went on, picking up said card which had four squares marked on it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator – " he held up an object that looked like a nearly toothless hair-pick " – and the third is a sterile lancet." the last thing he held up was a small piece of blue plastic which he tore open. The needle inside was invisible from my desk, but I felt sick just thinking about it.

"I'll come around with a dropper of water to get your cards going, so please don't start until I've seen you." He began with Joey, carefully dripping one drop of water in each square. "Then you should prick your finger with the lancet..." He grabbed Joey's hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of Joey's middle finger. Sweat broke out across my forehead at once.

"Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs." He massaged Joey's finger until the blood flowed. I swallowed convulsively and flinched, feeling for the second time that day that I was about to be sick.

"And then apply it to the card," he finished, demonstrating the dripping red card for us to see. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think happy thoughts.

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." He was pretty excited about his genius idea, but I couldn't really care less. "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet need a parent's permission – I have the slips if you want them."

He wandered through the classroom with his water drops. I put my cheek against the tabletop and tried to take deep breaths, my heart was pounding so bad. All I could hear was my own pulse, squeals of classmates, complaints, and giggles as they stabbed themselves.

"Yugi, are you all right?" Mr Godwin asked. His voice was close to my ear, and it sounded alarmed.

"I already know my blood type," I murmured weakly. I didn't think I could raise my head.

"Are you feeling faint?"

"Yes sir," I muttered, internally kicking myself for not ditching when I had the chance.

"Can someone take Yugi to the nurse, please?" he called.

Anybody on the planet could guess that Joey would be the one to volunteer.

"Can you walk?" Godwin asked.

"Yes," I whispered. _I'll crawl if I have to; just let me go already._

Joey was eager as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled my arm over his shoulder. I leaned heavily on him as we made our way out of the classroom.

Joey pulled me slowly across the campus. When we got around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of the Biology classroom in case Godwin was watching, I stopped.

"I just need a minute," I informed Joey.

He helped lower me down to sit on the edge of the walk.

"And whatever you do, keep your hand in your pocket." I warned him. I slumped backward onto the grass, before rolling to the side to press my sweaty face against the cool pavement. It helped for a little bit.

"Wow, you're so green, Yugi." Joey said nervously.

"Yugi?" a different voice called from a distance.

_Oh no! Please let me be imagining that horribly familiar voice. He has the worst timing._

"What's wrong? Is he hurt?" His voice was closer now, and it sounded upset. There was no way it was my imagination. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that I could just sink into the ground where no one could see me. Or, you know, just not upchuck everywhere.

Joey sounded stressed. "I think he's fainted. I don't know what happened; he didn't even stick himself."

"Yugi." Atem's voice was right beside me, in my ear, relieved. "Can you hear me?"

"No," I groaned, embarrassed. "Go away."

He laughed.

"I was taking him to the nurse," Joey declared defensively, "but he wouldn't go any farther."

"I'll take him," Atem said. I could hear the smirk that was sure to be on his face. "You can go back to class."

"No," Joey argued. "I'm supposed to."

Suddenly the sidewalk disappeared from beneath me and my side was pressed tightly to something warm and hard. My eyes flew open in shock. Atem had scooped me up around the waist with one arm, supporting me easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of one hundred and ten.

"Put me down!" I begged. _I might throw up on you if you don't and that would suck. _He was striding down the walk before I'd even finished speaking.

"Hey!" Joey called, already at least ten feet away.

Atem pointedly ignored him. "You look like crap," he told me, smirking.

"Put me back on the ground," I whimpered. The rocking of his gait was not helping my queasy stomach. He held me close, but still far enough away so that if something were to come up, he wouldn't be within range. He really didn't seem to be bothered supporting all my weight with one arm wrapped tightly around my hips.

"Weak stomach? Faint at the sight of blood?" he asked. I'd hazard a guess that he was entertained by this whole commotion.

I ignored him. I closed my eyes again and fought the nausea back again, clamping my jaw tight.

"And not even your own blood," he continued, seriously enjoying himself.

"Oh my," a female voice gasped.

"She fainted in biology," Atem supplied.

I opened my eyes. I was in the office, and Atem was walking past the front counter to the nurse's door. Ms Cope, the redheaded receptionist ran ahead of him to hold it open. The nurse looked up from the novel in her hands, astonished, as Atem swung me into the room and placed me gently on the crackly paper that covered the worn mattress on the one cot. Then he moved to stand against the wall as far across the room as possible. His eyes were wide, bright, and full of excitement.

"He's just a little faint," he reassured the startled nurse. "Blood Typing today in Biology."

The nurse nodded in understanding. "There's always someone."

He hid a snicker in his hand.

"Just lie down for a minute dear; it'll pass."

"I know," I sighed. The dizziness was already seeping away.

"Does this happen often?" she asked me.

"Sometimes," I admitted.

This time, a well timed cough was used to hide the snicker.

"You can go back to class now," she directed at Atem.

"I'm supposed to stay with him." He said this with such confidence and authority that – even as she pursed her lips – she didn't bother to argue further.

"I'll go get you some ice," she said to me and then bustled out of the room.

"You were right," I mumbled, letting my eyes slip shut again.

"I usually am – but what am I right about this time?"

"Ditching _is_ healthy." I attempted breathing calmly, slowly, deeply.

"You scared me for a minute there," he admitted after a bit of silence. His tone was soft, voice quiet like he was confessing to having a debilitating weakness. "I thought Wheeler was dragging your dead body off to hide it in the woods."

"Ha ha." I was feeling better every minute.

"Honestly – I've seen corpses with better colour. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."

"Poor Joey. He'll be so mad."

"He absolutely loathes me," Atem responded, actually sounding quite happy with the prospect.

"You don't know that," I argued, but then I wondered if it was possible that he really did know.

"How did you see me anyway? I thought you left." I was almost back to my normal now, though maybe I'd feel less sick if I had ate something earlier. On the other hand, it being empty was probably a good idea right about now.

"I was in my car listening to a CD." This surprised me. Ir didn't seem like something he would do; too normal, to simple.

I heard the door open and turned to it. The nurse had returned with a cold compress in her hand.

"Here you go, dear," she laid it across my forehead. "You're looking better," she added.

"I think i'm better now," I insisted, sitting up. There was only a little ringing in my ears, no queasiness or dizziness to speak of. I lowered my feet to meet the floor, and it was exactly where it should stay.

I could see she'd rather have me laying back in the cot, but the door opened and Mrs Cope poked her head around it.

"We've got another one," she warned.

I hopped down to free up the cot for the next victim.

I handed the compress back to the nurse. "Here, I don't think I need this anymore."

And low and behold, Joey staggered through the door with a weak-kneed Lee Stephens, another boy from my Bio class. Atem and I slunk back against the wall to make room.

"Oh no," Atem muttered. "Go out to the office, Yugi."

I blinked at him, confused.

"Trust me – go."

I spun and caught the door before it closed, speeding out of the infirmary. I could feel Atem right behind me.

"You actually listened to me." He was stunned.

"I smelled the blood." My nose wrinkled subconsciously. Lee wasn't sick from watching other people, just his own.

"People can't smell blood," he replied.

"Well I can – that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust ... and salt."

He was watching me with an unreadable expression.

"What?" I asked.

"Not a thing."

Joey came through the door then, glancing from me to Atem. The look he gave Atem confirmed what Atem had said about loathing. He looked back at me, his eyes almost defeated.

"_You_ look better," he accused.

"Just keep your hand in your pocket," I repeated.

"It's not bleeding anymore," he muttered. "Are you going back to class?"

"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back?"

"Yeah, I guess... So, are you going this weekend? To the beach?" He flashed a glare towards Atem while he spoke, who was standing next to the counter, motionless as a statue, not paying much attention to anything.

I tried to sound as friendly as possible. "Sure, I don't see why not."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." Although Atem was [paying no attention, Joey was clearly focused on the amount of information he was giving out, while still making it clear that Atem would not be welcome to join.

"I'll be there," I promised.

"See you in Gym then," he said, moving uncertainly to the door.

"Bye," I replied. He looked at me once more, his face slightly pouting, and then his shoulders slumped just before the door closed behind him. I felt so guilty and sympathetic. I thought about seeing that disappointed face again in Gym.

"Gym," I whined.

"I can take care of that." I hadn't even noticed Atem moving in close, but he spoke in my ear again. "Go sit down and look pale."

This was easy; I was always pale, and my recent spell had left a sheen of sweat on my face. I sat in one of the creaky folding chairs and rested my head against the wall with my eyes closed. Fainting spells were pretty tiring, after all.

I heard Atem speak softly to someone at the counter.

"Ms Cope?"

"Yes?" I hadn't heard her return to the desk.

"Yugi has Gym next hour, and I don't think he feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take him home now. Do you think you could excuse him from class?" His voice was deep and husky, slding across my ear drums like the darkest chocolate slithers across anyone's taste buds. I could imagine the overwhelmingly intense look in his eyes.

"Do you need to be excused too, Atem?" Ms Cope fluttered. Why couldn't I do that?

"No, I have Mrs Goff. She won't mind."

"Okay, everything's clear. You feel better, Yugi," she called to me. I nodded weakly, dramatizing just a little.

"Can you walk or do you want me to support you again?" With his back toward the reception desk, the usual sarcasm made an appearance.

"I'll walk."

I pushed up onto my feet carefully, and I was still fine. He held the door for me, smiling politely, but there was an undertone of mocking on his face I didn't appreciate. I stepped into the cold, fine mist that had begun sometime when we were inside. It was nice, for a change; it washed the sweat and grime off my face.

"Thanks," I said as I followed him. "It's almost worth being sick to miss Gym."

"Anytime." He was staring straight forward, squinting into the rain.

"So are you going? This Saturday, I mean?" I was hoping he would, though it was pretty unlikely. I couldn't picture him loading up to carpool with the rest of the kids from school; he didn't fit into the same world. But hoping he might want to gave me the first stirrings of any real enthusiasm for the outing.

"Where are you all going, exactly?" He didn't even bother to look over at me.

"Down to La Push, to First Beach." I studied his face, trying to read it. His eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit. If I wasn't so focused on his reaction, I wouldn't have seen it.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, smiling wryly. "I wasn't really invited."

I shook my head. "But I just invited you."

"Let's you and I not push poor Joey any further this week. We don't want him to snap." His eyes danced; it was obvious he'd actually enjoy Joey snapping.

"Joey-schmooey," I bit out, preoccupied with how amazing it felt to hear him say "you and I." I liked it more than_ I_ should, maybe because it sounded like it was something that might be a possibility.

We were near the parking lot now and I could see my truck. I veered towards it, but his long fingers wrapped around the collar of my jacket and brushed the warm skin of my neck. I shivered, and was happily surprised when he didn't jerk away like the last time he'd touched me.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded, angry. He clutched my jacket tighter in his fist

"I'm going home," I answered slowly.

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you home? Do you think I'd let you drive in your condition?" His voice was indignant, and I figured it was probably not a good idea to test him right now.

"What condition? What about my truck?" But, I couldn't help it.

"I'll get Yusei to drop it off after school." He was practically carrying me to his car now. It was all I could do not to slip out of the massive parka. I wasn't too worried. He'd come back for me, mess on the pavement or not.

"Let go!" I ordered. As usual, I was ignored. I staggered along, trying to keep up. When he reached the Volvo, he freed me – I stumbled against the car, glad to see it, for once.

"_Pushy_!" I mumbled.

"It's open," was all I got in response. He got in the driver's side.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking myself home you know." I huffed outside the car. I was starting to get severely aggravated, and the fact that it was starting to pour certainly didn't help matters. My hair was dripping and sticking to forehead.

He lowered the window and leaned across the seat. "Get in, Yugi."

I didn't reply. I was trying to figure out how far I could get if I took off running now. Could I make it to my truck? I doubted it.

"I'll just drag you back," he threatened, knowing full well what I was thinking.

I tried to maintain my dignity after I realized there was no way to win. I opened the door and tried to slip in without making a huge mess, but I looked like a drowned rat, and my shoes squelched as a settled in.

"This is not necessary," I said stiffly.

Of course he ignored that too. He fiddled with the music and heater, turning them up and down every once and a while. We hadn't even left the parking lot yet. When he did finally reach the mouth of the driveway, I prepared to give him the silent treatment – and the puppy dog eyes – but then I recognized the music. My resolve slipped away.

"Clair de Lune?" I asked, shocked.

"You know Debussy?" He sounded just as surprised as I was.

"Not too good," I admitted. "My Grandpa plays a lot of classical music around the house – I only know my favourites."

"It's one of my favourites too." He peered through the rain, lost in whatever he was thinking about.

I relaxed against the seat the more I paid attention to the music. It was impossible not to react to such a familiar, soothing melody. Everything outside the windows merged into one big collage of gray and green before I realized that the car was moving quite fast. Only the town flashing by gave this away.

"What is your Grandfather like anyway?" he asked out of nowhere.

I peeked over at him from the corner of my eyes to see him studying me curiously.

"He's a lot like me, but just a little taller," I said. He raised his eyebrows. "He's more outgoing than I am, and way braver. He's slightly eccentric, and more than a little unpredictable. He's my best friend." I stopped. Talking about this was making me sad.

"How old are you, Yugi?" His voice sounded frustrated for some reason I couldn't guess at. He'd stopped the car and I could see the markings of Mokuba's police cruiser, but just barely. I couldn't see the house at all.

"I'm seventeen," I responded, sure he should already know this.

"You don't seem seventeen."

His tone was reproachful. I laughed at that.

"What?" he asked, curious once more.

"My Grandpa always says I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged each year." I laughed again, then let out a sigh. "Well, someone has to be the adult in my family." I paused. "You don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself," I noted.

The open curiosity dropped from his face and it became impassive again.

"So why did your Grandfather start dating Alexis?"

I was surprised he remembered. The only time I'd mentioned them was months ago, in passing. I took a minute to answer.

"My Grandpa... he's pretty young for his age. I think Alexis makes him feel even younger. Anyway, he's crazy about her." I still didn't understand exactly why they had been attracted to each other.

"Do you approve?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" I retorted. "I want him to be happy. Alexis does that for him."

"That's very generous... I wonder," he mused.

"What?"

"Would he extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who you chose?" He was suddenly very intent again, his eyes searching.

"I-I think so," I stuttered. "But he's the parent. It's different rules."

"No one too scary then," he teased.

I grimaced in response. "What does that mean? Facial piercings? Tattoos?"

"That's one definition, I suppose."

"What's your definition?"

But he ignored that too and went on to the next question. "Do you think that _I_ could be scary?" He raised one eyebrow, and the faint beginnings of a smile lingered around his cheeks.

I debated this for a moment. Would it be better to lie, or tell the truth? I decided on telling the truth. "I think you _could_ be, if you wanted."

"Are you frightened now?" The smile vanished. His face was suddenly tight, full of seriousness.

"No." My mouth moved before I'd even caught up with the question, and I realized I'd answered too quickly. The smirk was back.

"Are you going to tell me about your family?" I asked to change the subject. "It's probably much more interesting than mine."

He was instantly wary. "What do you want to know?"

"The Maximillians adopted you?" I asked.

"Yes."

I hesitated. "What happened to your parents?"

"They died a long time ago." He tone was flat, as if he were answering a trivia question, before he considered and went quiet again.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled awkwardly.

"I don't really remember them. Pegasus and Cyndia have been my parents for so long now."

"And you love them." It wasn't a question. It was more than obvious, the way he talked about them.

"Yes." He smiled. "I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your siblings?"

He glanced at the clock on the dashboard display.

"My brothers are going to be quite upset if they have to wait in the rain for me," he joked.

"Oh, sorry. I guess you have to go." I started unbuckling the seat belt, as much as I didn't want to get out of the car.

"And you probably want your truck back before Mokuba Kaiba gets home, so you don't have to mention the Biology incident." He grinned at me.

"I'm sure he knows by now. Nobody here can keep a secret."

He chuckled, but that hard edge was back.

"Have fun at the beach. It's good weather for sun-bathing." He glanced out at the pouring rain.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?"

"No. Bakura and I are starting the weekend early."

"What are you going to do?" It was within my rights as a friend to ask, wasn't it? I hope he couldn't hear the disappointment in my voice.

"We're going hiking in the Goat Rock Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

I remembered Mokuba telling me how often the Cullens camped out.

"Oh. Well. Have fun." I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I don't think he bought it. A smirk played around with the corners of his lips.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" He turned to looks straight at me, utilizing every inch of his beautiful face and power of those scorching eyes.

There wasn't anything else I could do but nod helplessly.

"Promise not to be offended, but you're one of those people who attract accidents like a magnet. So... try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, okay?" He smiled crookedly.

The helplessness faded as he spoke. I glared.

"I'll see what I can do," I snapped, launching myself out into the rain. I slammed the door behind me with excessive force.

He just smirked as he drove away.


	7. Scary Stories

_Okay, so it's been a very long time since I've done any work with this story, and I'm a little unsure of where I'm going with it. I want to make my own changes to the storyline, some minor, maybe some major, but how much is too much? I really want to change the "sparkly vampire" thing to something a little less beautiful, maybe just a little scary, because I think making a vampire sparkle goes against the "I'm dangerous" image that they're trying very hard to drive home. But let me know what you think and I'll keep it in mind because I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do with that scene. I'm pretty much just changing things as I go, so there's still some time for me to figure it I want to do.  
_

When I was finally settled on the couch with a plate of graham crackers and a book in my hands, I made the decision to turn the television on for some background noise.

By the time I'd finished my snack, cleaned up around the house and checked out the window half a dozen times, there wasn't anything else to do but relax for a while. But just as I was about to go read my book, _Macbeth_, I peeked outside one last time. My truck was sitting in the drive, looking for all the world as if it had been there the whole time. Even though it was pouring out, I'd thought that I would hear the engine as it was dropped off.

I knew Friday was going to suck, and it definitely didn't disappoint. The story about passing out in Biology had made its way around and there were plenty of mocking comments about it. Rebecca really played it up, super amused by this. Luckily, Joey didn't say anything about it, and nobody had any idea that Atem had been involved in the ordeal at all. Rebecca had enough questions about lunch yesterday, though, that she set the matter of my fainting aside for the much more interesting topic of the company I suddenly kept.

"What did Maximillian want yesterday? You spent an awful lot of time talking about Biology," she mentioned in class, proving me right that she had known the whole time that my flimsy excuse was just that: fake.

"Who knows," I replied. "He never really said."

"You looked kind of mad," she hinted, fishing for information.

"Did I?" I replied, carefully keeping any kind of expression off my face that might give it away.

"But it was weird," she continued on, like I hadn't said anything, "I've never seen him with anyone other than his family."

"Yeah," I agreed. The fact that there was no other information forthcoming must have upset her; she twirled her blonde ponytail impatiently – I knew that she was waiting for me to say something that other students would consider juicy gossip, and I didn't feel like encouraging that.

And I have to say, even though I'd known that he wouldn't be in school today, I was still disconcerted when I walked into the cafeteria with Rebecca and Joey. I couldn't keep from looking at his table where Seto, Yusei, and Malik sat talking, heads bowed close together. Then I realized I had no idea when I'd see Atem again. That made the dark cloud hanging over my head just a little darker.

As we sat down, everyone began chatting about our plans for tomorrow. Joey was suddenly back to himself, not like the quiet stranger he'd been this morning. He had every bit of faith that the weatherman hadn't mislead us when he promised there would be sun the next day. That was something that I'd have to see to believe. On a happier note, it was warmer today, and that boded well for our outing. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

While I picked at my chicken sandwich, I caught a few unfriendly glances from Mai, but I shrugged them off. I couldn't figure out what they meant, but I was sure to hear all about it later. That confrontation came when we got up and left the lunch room. I was following behind her, just about a foot away, and she must not have known I was there, because she started in.

"I don't know why Yugi" – she sneered – "doesn't just sit with the Maximillians from now on," I heard her muttering to Joey. That whining in her voice really made her seem doubly unpleasant, and I guess I'd never noticed before. I was surprised by the amount of anger in her voice, because I hadn't done anything to her, certainly not enough for her to dislike me so much. Or so I thought.

"He's my friend; he's going to sit with us," Joey defended loyally, but it was more territorial than anything. He most likely didn't even want me to think about Atem, let alone spend any amount on time with him. I paused to let Rebecca and Tea go ahead of me. I had heard enough.

That night at dinner, Mokuba seemed enthusiastic about the trip to La Push. I was pretty sure he felt guilty leaving me alone on the weekends, but he'd spent so many years on his own building his own habits that I knew there was no hope of changing them. Of course he knew everyone in the area, and he seemed to approve of my choice of friends. I wondered how he'd approve of the fact that I was going to Seattle with Atem. Not that I'd ever tell him.

"Uh, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something? It's somewhere around Mount Rainier," I asked casually.

"Yeah – why?"

I shrugged, pushing my potatoes around with my fork. "Some kids were talking about going camping there."

"It's not a good place for that." He sounded surprised. "Way too many bears. It's a good hunting spot."

"Oh," I said. "Maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else."

I meant to sleep in, but something I hadn't seen in a long time woke me. There was an unusual brightness creeping past my eyelids, so I jumped out of bed and ran to the window. Sure enough, the sun was peeking out at me through a break in the clouds. It wasn't very high in the sky, but it was there none the less. I lingered, scared that this would be the last time I'd see it for a very long time. I showered and dressed as fast I could, excited to go outside and spend time in the sun. I grabbed a coat just in case the sun disappeared, and locked the door behind me.

The Wheeler's Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd been past it, of course, but I'd never stopped in. I'm not exactly in need of any supplies that are necessary for outdoor activities. I recognized Joey's van and Tristan's car. As I pulled up, I could see a group of people standing in front of the van. Joey was there, talking to two other boys I had classes with; I was pretty sure their names were Duke and Conner. Rebecca was there too, flanked by Tea and Mai. There were three other girls standing with them, including one I'd tripped over in Gym the other day. She gave me a dirty look when she saw me, and turned to engage Mai in conversation. Mai shook her hair back over her shoulders and sneered at me.

It was going to be a long day.

At least Joey was excited to see me.

"You came!" As if he believed that I'd been lying every time he'd asked me, but he still sounded delighted. "Didn't I tell you the sun would be out?"

"I told you I'd be here," I reminded.

"We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha, unless you've invited someone." He let it hang, probably hoping that I hadn't. I didn't want to tell him that I had indeed invited the person he disliked the most, so I kept it quiet because it didn't matter anyway. He wasn't even around this weekend.

"I'm not waiting for anyone," I settled on, hoping he wouldn't notice the implication.

He looked pretty satisfied with that.

"Will you come with me? It's that or with Lee."

"Sure."

He smiled wide. It wasn't very hard to bring out that reaction in Joey.

"I'll even let you ride shotgun," he promised. I hid my own smile; it wasn't as easy to make both Joey and Rebecca happy at the same time. Speaking of, Rebecca was frowning at us now.

Everything worked out in my favour, though. Lee brought two extra people, and there was no seat left unclaimed. I managed to wedge Becca in between Joey and I in the front seat of the van. Joey didn't hide his disappointment well, but Rebecca was really happy about it, as uncomfortable as the seating must have been.

It was a measly fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, but the gorgeous dense green forests spread out farther than the eye could see, edging the road, and the wide Quillayute River dipped under the pavement twice, making the trip very enjoyable. Well, as much as it could be squished together in the minivan. We – the nine of us – rolled down the windows to minimize the claustrophobic feeling. I sucked up as much sun as I could get.

When I'd spent summers here in Forks, I used to go to the beaches around La Push, so the long stretch of sand and the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar. It was every bit as amazing as I remembered. The water was dark, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving into the gray rocky shore. Islands rose out of the swells with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven heights, crowned with fir trees. The beach was only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it transformed into millions of large, smooth stones that were every colour you could imagine; terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue, gray, even dull golden ones. The tide was littered with huge pieces of driftwood, bleached bone white from the waves, some piled together, some alone, just beyond the grasp of the water.

The wind coming off the waves was a little chilly, but not too bad. Pelicans floated on the swells and seagulls soared overhead looking for anything they could make a quick meal of. The clouds still circled about us, threatening to overcome the sun, but for now bright rays of sun were pouring strongly from its place in the middle of a sea of blue.

All of us began picking our way around the rocks and through the sand. Joey lead the way to a ring of driftwood logs that were strategically placed. It indicated that this was a common party spot. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with ash. Tristan, and the boy I was sure was named Duke, gathered branches from dry spots against the forest edge. These were used to build a teepee shaped contraption against the cinders.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Joey asked. I parked myself on one of the bleached out benches of wood; the girls clustered on the other side of me, gossiping so fast I'm surprised they could even breathe between comments. Joey knelt by the fire, lightning one of the smaller branches with a lighter he produced from his jacket pocket.

"Nope," I replied, watched as he placed the stick back where he'd taken it form the teepee.

"It's amazing; I'm sure you'll love it – watch the colours." He lit another small twig and laid it alongside the first. It didn't take long at all before the flames started licking up the side of the wood.

"It's blue," I murmured, surprised.

"That's all the salt. Pretty, isn't it?" He lit one last piece and placed it on the only place the fire hadn't caught yet, and then sat down beside me on the log. Becca placed herself on his other side. She turned to him and said something that caught his attention. I watched the strange blue and green flames reach toward the sky.

Everyone talked for about half an hour before the rest of the boys began to get bored. They wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. This was a problem. I loved the tide pools. I'd loved them ever since I was a child; they were the only things I'd really looked forward to seeing every year I visited. On the other hand, I was pretty clumsy and I'd fallen into them a lot. It wasn't a big deal when you were seven and with your uncle. Like most things lately, this made me think of Atem – he'd warned me not to fall into the ocean.

Mai was the one who made the final decision. She would never do something as silly as hike, and the footwear she had on didn't exactly accommodate the idea. Most of the other girls except Tea and Becca decided to stay on the beach anyway. I waited until Tristan had committed to remaining with them before I raised myself up to join the pro-hiking group. Joey grinned so wide I couldn't believe the smile fit on his face when he saw I was coming.

The hike wasn't too bad; it wasn't very long at all. I had to sacrifice the blue sky in favour of the woods, but it didn't matter because I really had to pay attention to my footing. Not only were their roots to avoid, but branches to duck under, so it was a full time job for me. The green light of the forest was too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me.

Finally, we broke through the arms of the trees to find the shore again. The tide was low, and a tidal river flowed past us on the way to the sea. Along the banks, shallow pools were teeming with all kinds of different lifeforms.

I kept Atem's warning at the front of my mind; I was cautious not to lean too far over the ocean ponds. The others were quite fearless, leaping over one rock to hang onto the edges of another rock. I found a very stable-looking outgrowth of rock on the fringe of one of the biggest pools and watched the water below me. I was completely absorbed by the sight of shells speeding about the edges, starfish stuck to the rocks, and eels waving throughout the seaweed, waiting for the tide to return to the sea. However, none of this could keep me from really wondering what Atem was doing right now. I spent a long time trying to picture what we'd talk about if he were here with me.

Eventually the others got hungry. I got up to follow them back. This time I tried to keep up better, which meant more tumbles onto the mossy forest floor. I got some scrapes on my palms that were pretty shallow, and the knees of my jeans were stained green but that was bad at all. I actually considered the hike a mild success. Usually my war wounds were much worse.

When we got back to the beach, the group we'd left behind had grown a little. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation who'd come to mingle.

We reached the fire just as food was beginning to be passed around, and the other guys hurried to grab their share while Tristan introduced us as we each entered the circle. Tea and I were the last to arrive, and, while Tristan said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down Joey was nice enough to bring us a bunch of different sodas and sandwiches to choose from. The oldest of the boys from the reservation rattled off names of the seven other people with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Spencer.

It was nice to sit with Tea; she was restful to be around – mainly because she had no urge to fill the silence with inane and irrelevant gossip about other people. She left me free to think about whatever I wanted while I ate. I ended up pondering on why time seemed to flow so awkwardly in Forks, passing in a blur one minute, with only single images standing out as things I could remember. And then at other times, every second of every minute was so significant that it was etched so deeply in my mind that I don't think I'd ever be able forget them. I didn't need to remind myself exactly what the difference was between the two – it was exactly obvious, and that disturbed me quite a bit.

As most people went back for seconds, the clouds started to creep over blue. They covered the sun momentarily, casting shadows across the beach and darkening the waves even further. When people finished up their food, they began to drift away in couples and small groups. Some went walking down the beach, looking for rocks to skip across the waves. Others were grouping up to head back to the tidal pools. Joey and Rebecca headed up to the village to the one shop that they had. Some of the locals followed; others went on the hike. By the time the others had went their own ways, I was sitting alone on the driftwood log, with Mai and some other boy occupying themselves by the CD player someone had brought, and three teenagers were perched around the circle, including the boy named Spencer and the oldest dark-skinned man.

A few minutes after Tea left to go to the tide pools, Spencer sauntered over to take the spot she had vacated. He looked quite young, fourteen or fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the base of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-coloured; however, his eyes didn't seem like they belonged in the picture, a stunning emerald green, much brighter than the rest of him, but breathtaking none-the-less. They were set above high cheekbones. I couldn't help but notice that there was still a bit of roundness around his chin, but I wasn't going to make a complaint; it was a very pretty face, after all. But all of this didn't help him maintain my positive opinion when he spoke for the first time.

"You're Yugi Moutou, right?"

I felt a sense of deja vu. It was like the first day all over again.

"Yugi," I nodded.

"I'm Spencer Lee." He offered me his hand in a friendly gesture. "You bought my dad's truck."

"Oh," I smiled, shaking his hand. "You're Brandon's son. I'm sorry; I probably should remember you."

"No, I'm the youngest of the family – you would remember my older sisters."

"Rachel and Rebekah," I suddenly recalled, remembering. Mokuba and Brandon had spent a lot of time together during my visits and so I spent a lot of time with the Lee children. They did it on purpose, I think, to keep me busy while they went fishing. But by the time I was eleven, I'd ended those trips with the sheer number of temper tantrums I'd thrown to get out of going.

"Are they here?" I glanced around the girl's at the shoreline, wondering if I could recognize them.

"No," he denied, shaking his head. "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebekah married a surfer – she's gone down to Hawaii."

"Married. Wow." I was stunned. Spencer's sisters, twins, were only a year older than myself.

"So, how's the truck been doing?" he asked.

"I love it. It runs great."

"Yeah, but it's really slow," he laughed. "I was relieved when Mokuba bought it. My dad wouldn't let me build another car because we had a perfectly good one in the yard."

"It's not that bad," I objected.

"Have you tried to go over sixty?"

"Um, no." I admitted.

"Good. You better not." He grinned.

I couldn't help smiling back. "It's pretty good in a fight," I offered, trying to defend it.

"There's no way a tank could take out that truck," he joked, chuckling.

"So you build cars?" I questioned, impressed.

"Only when I have the time and the parts. You don't happen to know where I can find a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" He added, joking again. His voice was smokey and very pleasant.

"Sorry," I laughed, "I haven't seen any, but I'll let you know if I do." As if I'd even know what that was if I did come across one. But he was so easy to talk to, I couldn't help myself. He was open in a way that was so relaxing because I didn't have to listen for undertones or implications. His sarcasm was so obvious. And he wasn't talking big or trying to impress me; he was simply trying to get to know me, and telling me what he liked to spend time on without being overly flirtatious. It was refreshing.

He flashed a brilliant smile at me and looked at me appreciatively in that way I was starting to recognize. I wasn't the only one who could see.

"You know Yugi, do you Spencer?" Mai asked – in what was supposed to be an innocent voice, but I took it as more insolent than anything – from across the fire.

"We've known each other forever – since I was born," he laughed, smiling at me again.

I didn't bother to point out that we really didn't know anything about each other, having not seen each other for years.

"How nice." She didn't sound like it was nice at all, and her pale, nasty eyes narrowed.

"Yugi," she called again, watching me carefully. "I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Maximillians could join us today. Didn't you invite them?" Her concerned expression was unconvincing.

"You mean Dr. Pegasus Maximillian's family?" The tall, older guy asked before I could respond, to Mai's irritation. And really, he was more man than boy, not someone I would dare aggravate, what with his huge, broad shoulders, and towering height.

"Yeah, do you know them?" she asked condescendingly, angling her body towards him.

"They don't come here," he said immediately, in a tone that made it clear the conversation was over, ignoring her.

Tyler tried to win back her attention, asked her a question about the CD in his hand. She was paying too much attention to the topic we'd be on to pay any kind of attention.

I stared at the older boy, taken aback, but he wasn't looking my way. He was faced towards the dark forest behind us. He'd said the Maximillians didn't come here, but I recognized the implication underneath it – that they weren't allowed here. This left me with a weird feeling, and I tried to ignore it. I wasn't very successful.

Spencer interrupted my train of thought. "So, Forks making you go insane yet?"

"I'm pretty sure you've mastered the art of understating." I grimaced. He grinned in understanding.

Still, I couldn't get my mind of the brief statement about the Maximillians, and I had a sudden idea. It was not only a stupid plan, but pretty risky, but I couldn't think of any better ideas. I hoped that Spencer, because he was young and inexperienced (even though I was pretty much the same) wouldn't call me on my sure-to-pitiful flirting attempts.

"Do you want to go for a walk across the beach with me?" I asked, standing, holding our my hand to pull him up. I tried to imitate the way Atem had a way of looking at me from beneath those long lashes of his. It wouldn't be nearly as effective, but Spencer grabbed my hand and allowed me to help him up. As soon as he was on his feet I dropped his hand and began to head north across the stones to the driftwood seawall. The clouds finally overtook the sun, and the sea darkened even more as the temperature dropped. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket (not the parka; I'd realized that wearing it was more than a little dramatic – it wasn't _that_ cold) that Mokuba had bought me after he saw the massive coat I'd brought with me from home.

"So you're, what, sixteen?" I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes which just a little wider than normal, and sucking my bottom lip in between my teeth.

"I just turned fifteen," he confessed, seemingly flattered.

"Really?" I asked, falsely shocked. "I thought you were older."

"I'm tall for my age," he explained.

"Do you visit Forks much?" I asked softly, as though I was hoping he'd say yes. I have to admit, I sounded a little stupid, even to myself. This was the first time I've ever really tried this, and I was so scared he would be disgusted, but all I could really tell was the openly flattered look on his face.

"Not too much," he replied with a frown. "But when I get my car done I can go as much as I want – after I get my licence, I mean," he clarified.

"Who was that other boy Mai was talking to? He seemed a little old to be hanging out with us." I purposely lumped myself in with the group (as weird as it sounded even as it came out of my mouth), trying to make it clear that I preferred Spencer.

"That's Sam – he's nineteen," he muttered.

I whistled. "Whoa. What was he saying about the doctor's family?" I asked innocently.

"The Maximillians? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." He looked away from me, out towards one of the islands in the distance, as he confirmed what I'd heard in Sam's voice. But there was no elaboration on that, so I knew that I'd have to work at getting those answers.

"Oh, Why not? I mean, I'm just curious, I won't tell." I smiled sweetly at him, wondering if this was just a little much.

He smiled back, though, looking pleased. But then he lifted one dark eyebrow and his voice deepened.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asked hauntingly.

I didn't, but said instead, "I _love_ them," making an effort to trap him with my gaze.

Spencer strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had it's roots spread wide like the legs of a huge, pale spider.

He plopped down on one of the twisted roots while I sat on a lower level, on the trunk of the tree. He stared down at the rocks, a smile on the corner of his lips. I could tell he was going to try to make this the best story I'd heard. I focused on hiding exactly how much I really wanted to hear anything he'd be willing to tell me about the mysterious Maximillians.

"Have you heard any of the old Quileute stories?" he began.

"Not really," I confirmed.

"Well, there's plenty of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood – supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He snorted here, showing how little he believed this. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves – and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against our laws to kill them.

"Then there are the stories about the _cold ones_." His voice dropped low.

"The cold ones?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my great-grandfather met some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"Your great-grandfather?"

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf – well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You could call them werewolves."

I scoffed. "Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

I stared at him eagerly, hoping he'd take my impatience as admiration.

"The cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came into our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the same way that others of their kind did – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to pale-faces." He winked, here.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why...?" I was confused, despite how seriously I was thinking about his ghost story.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they _are_ civilized. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." He deliberately worked a thick sense of menace into his tone.

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly preyed on animals instead."

I went for casual. "So how does the Maximillian family fit into this? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the _same_ ones."

He must have thought that his story scared me. He smiled at that, pleased, but continued.

"There are more of them now, two newer additions, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Pegasus. He'd been here and gone before _your _people had even arrived." He was fighting an even bigger smile than the one previous.

"And what are they? What _are_ the cold ones?"

He smirked darkly.

"Blood drinkers," he intoned in a chilling voice. "You call them vampires."

I stared out at the surf after he answered, not sure what he would see on my face if he looked.

"You've got goosebumps," he informed me, laughing cheerily.

"You're a good storyteller," I admitted, still looking into the sea.

"Crazy though, huh? No wonder my dad doesn't like us to talk to anyone about it."

"Don't worry, I won't tattle."

"I guess i just violated the treaty," he laughed.

"I'll take it to the grave," I promised. I couldn't help the shudder that traveled from my shoulders all the way to my toes.

"Seriously though, don't say anything to Mokuba. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us refused to go to the hospital because of Dr. Pegasus working there."

"I won't, of course not."

"So, I bet you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives now," he said in a playful tone, but I could hear the worry in his voice. I still couldn't look away from the ocean.

I turned and smiled as normally as I could manage.

"No way. I just think you're really good at telling scary stories. See? I've still got the goosebumps." I held up my arm so he could get a better look.

"Cool." He grinned.

And then we could hear the rocks close to the shore crunching and shifting against each other. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see that Joey and Rebecca were about fifty yards away, walking towards us.

"There you are, Yugi," Joey called in relief, waving his arm at me.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Spencer asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Joey's voice. I was surprised that it was so obvious.

I sighed, wondering why everyone seemed so concerned these days about who I was and was not dating.

"Definitely not," I whispered to him. I was tremendously grateful to Spencer, and happy to make the effort to make him as cheerful and happy as I could. I winked at him, angling away from Joey to do it. He smiled, blissful from my clumsy flirting.

"So when I get my licence..." he started.

"You should come see me in Forks. We could hang out sometime." As I said this, I felt the familiar tinges of guilt creeping into my awareness. I'd used him, yes, but I actually did like him. I could see us as friends no problem.

Joey finally reached us with Rebecca still a few paces behind him. I could see him give Spencer the once-over, trying to figure out whether or not he'd be a threat in the future. He looked pretty satisfied that Spencer was so young.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though I knew he was staring straight at his answer.

"Spencer has just been telling me some local stories," I replied. "It was pretty interesting."

I smiled warmly at Spencer, and he ginned back at me.

"Well," Joey paused carefully reconsidering the situation as he watched us interact. "We're packing up – seems like it'll rain soon."

We all looked up at the glowering sky. There was no doubt that it was going to rain.

"Okay." I jumped up, "I'm coming."

"It was nice to see you _again_," Spencer said, and I could tell he was goading Joey just a bit.

"It really was. Next time Mokuba comes down to see Brandon, I'll come too," I promised.

That huge grinned stretched across his face. "That would be awesome."

"And thanks," I added, "I appreciated it."

I yanked my hood up over my head as we tramped towards the vehicles. A drop of water fell and slid down the tip of my nose, dripping onto the rocks and we walked, and more followed right behind it. When we got to the cars everyone was loading everything up. I crawled in the backseat with Tea and Tyler, declaring I'd already had my turn in shotgun, so someone else could have it. Tea was disinterested, staring out the window at the oncoming storm, and Mai twisted around in the middle seat to take up Tyler's attention, so I let my head drop back onto the headrest, closed my eyes, and tried very hard to stop thinking.


	8. Nightmare

When I got home, I told Mokuba I had lots of homework to do and that I'd already ate on the beach with the gang. He brushed it off because he was excited about a basketball game that he was watching on TV, and that suited me because I really had no idea what's so special about it anyway. This meant that he didn't notice anything unusual on my face or tone of voice.

I'd barely stepped into my room, just far enough to shut the door before I closed it quietly and turned the lock. I went through the drawers in my desk until I found my headphones, and plugged them into the CD player on my nightstand. I picked up the first CD I came across, the one Alexis had had given to me for Christmas last year. She quite liked the band, but it was a little too heavy-metal for my tastes. I popped it in, made myself comfortable on top of my comforter, and hit the play button. I turned the volume up as loud as I could stand without giving myself a headache, and closed my eyes. The light still shone through my closed eyelids, so I had to cover the top half of my face with one of my pillows.

I paid so much attention to the music screaming in my ears, trying to understand the lyrics, to unravel the complex drum patterns. By the third time I'd listened to the whole thing, I knew every lyric to the verses. I was surprised to find out that the band wasn't half bad at all, once a person got past the screaming and considered the actual lyrics. I guess that meant I'd have to thank Alexis again.

The music did what I hoped it would. The heavy drums made it impossible for me to pay attention to any one thing for too long. I can't say how many times I listened to it on repeat, over and over until I couldn't keep my eyes open any more and fell asleep.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was to see somewhere I'd been before. Somehow, I knew that this was a dream, recognizing the curtain of green light as it filtered through the trees. I could hear the ocean slapping against the cliff side nearby. I knew that if I followed the sounds of the water, then I'd also find the sun. I veered off in the direction the waves were the loudest, but then Spencer Lee was there, gripping my hand so tightly I had no choice but to follow him into the blackest part of the forest.

"Spencer? What's going on?" I asked. The fear on his face freaked me out. Even more than the fact that he was so desperate to pull me away from the coast against my will, that he was actually hurting me. I really didn't want to go with him.

"Run, Yugi, you have to run!" he whispered, terrified.

"This way, Yugi!" I heard Joey's voice calling me from the exact same spot Spencer was so intent on taking me.

"Why?" I demanded, still digging my heels into the dirt, determined to head toward the shore. I wanted to see the sun.

But suddenly Spencer let go of my hand and yelped, shaking, before falling to the forest floor. I was so unprepared for it that I stumbled backwards and almost fell myself.

"Spencer!" I screamed. But the next moment he'd disappeared. In the place he'd fallen, there was a large red-brown wolf with the deepest green eyes I'd ever seen. That startled me; I'd never heard of such a thing. But then I realized that there were more important things to worry about, like the wolf itself, and what was lurking just on the shoreline. The wolf faced that direction, the fur on the back of its shoulders bristled, growling dangerously with fangs exposed.

"Yugi, run!" Joey cried out from behind me. But I didn't move. There was a light reaching through the trees, moving closer every second.

Atem stepped out from the foliage, his skin glowing, his eyes the darkest I'd ever seen them, full of danger. He held out his hand for me to take. The wolf growled again, as if daring him to come closer.

I took one step forward. Closer to Atem. He smiled then, but his beautiful smile was twisted into something sharp and pointed.

"Trust me," he purred encouragingly.

Another step.

That was too much. The wolf launched himself across the space between me and the only enemy werewolves had ever known, aiming for the jugular.

I woke up screaming, launching to sit upright.

The rapid movement jerked the headphones, and the CD player fell off the table. It clattered to the wooden floor, but I could hear music still pumping through the earbuds on the floor.

My light was still on, and I was still wearing the clothes I'd had on yesterday, with my worn out sneakers still on. I turned my head to check the time. The alarm clock on my dresser let me know that it was 5:30 in the morning.

I fell back hard onto the mattress, and rolled onto my stomach, grumbling. I toed off my shoes, and tried to wiggle my way under the blankets, but I was really too tired to get anywhere, and I was too uncomfortable to even try going back to sleep. I rolled back over and unbuttoned my jeans, yanking them down and then kicking them off. I pulled the nearest pillow back over my face.

Of course it didn't help. My subconscious was too busy reminding me of every small detail of my nightmare, which I really didn't want anything to do with right now. But after staring blankly at the ceiling for the next half hour, I realized I was going to have to face it.

I sat up and my head spun as the blood rushed down. First things first, I reasoned. I hadn't had a shower last night when I'd got home, so I grabbed a change of clothes and my toiletries and headed for the bathroom.

I spent as long as I could in the shower, washing slowly and standing under the water for longer than was really necessary. After I'd brushed my teeth, dried and combed my hair, as well as dressed in the comfiest pair of sweatpants I owned, I ran out of things I could do in there. I wasn't sure if Mokuba was still home or whether he'd went somewhere, so I pulled aside the curtains in my room to check. No cruiser. Fishing again, then.

I made my bed – which is something that I never do. I couldn't put it off anymore. I drug my feet across the floor to the computer desk and settled into the chair, switching on the computer.

I'd barely used it since I'd been here. The Internet was so slow. The modem was probably fifteen years old, and free service always had quite a few drawbacks; just dialing up took long enough that I could go make something to eat and still have to wait. So that's exactly what I did. I went and grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table, munching slowly while I people watched through the kitchen window. When I'd finished, I washed and dried the bowl and spoon before putting them away. I trudged up the stairs. I examined the CD player first, checking to see if everything was in order. When I decided that it was, I picked it up and placed it back in the centre of the nightstand, pulling the headphones out of the jack. I turned the player back on, the same music from last night blasting from the speakers. I had to reach out quickly and turn it down before it melted my ear drums, and kept it just loud enough to hear the beat, but not necessarily the lyrics.

I finally turned back to the computer. There must have been fifty pop-ups, and it seemed to take forever to close all the windows. I plopped into the folding chair and opened my favourite search engine. A few more pop-ups appeared, which I closed, before typing one word.

_Vampire._

It seemed to take forever. When the results came up there was so much to sift through – the usual movies and TV sites, role-playing games, gothic cosmetics, and all the stuff I had no interest in.

Then I found an interesting site – Vampires A-Z. I waited impatiently for it to load, closing all the new ads that popped up. Eventually the main page stared back at me - a simple white background with black text. It wasn't wasn't I expecting; it was pretty tame looking, almost as if it were academic. Two quotes on the home page grabbed my attention:

_Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both. – Rev. Montague Summers_

_If there is in this world a well-attested account, it is that of the vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well-known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that, who is there that believes in vampires? – Rousseau _

The rest of the site was chalk full of the different myths ever told about vampires all over the world, listed alphabetically. The first I was interested in was the _Danag, _a Filipino vampire supposedly responsible for bringing taro to the islands so long ago. They worked with humans for many years, but the partnership ended one day after a woman cut herself on the job. The _Danag_ sucked the blood out of the wound, enjoying it so thoroughly that the creature drained her.

I scanned the page carefully, taking more time looking than I might have needed, but I wanted to be sure that I didn't pass over anything that sounded the least bit familiar, let alone plausible. It seemed that most of the myths focused around gorgeous women posing demons and children as their victims; this also seemed to explain the high rates of child mortality, as well as give men an excuse for infidelity. Many legends revolved around bodiless spirits, and the fact that burials weren't always conducted properly. Nothing really sounded like the movies I'd watched on the subject, and only a small number actually focused on the practice of drinking blood.

In the end, three entries caught my attention: the Romanion _Varacolaci_, a powerful undead being who could appear as a beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovakian _Nelapsi_, a creature so strong and fast it could massacre an entire village in the single hour after midnight, and one other, the _Stregoni benefici_.

There was only one sentence about the last one.

_Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires._

I was so relieved to see even one small sentence, one myth among hundreds, that claimed good vampires were really out there.

Overall, not much correlated with Spencer's stories or what I'd noticed for myself. I made a list in my mind as I read and carefully compared those traits with the myths. Speed, strength, beauty, pale skin, eyes that change colour; as well as what Spencer had said: blood drinkers, enemies of the werewolf, frigid, and immortal. Few myths even touched on one of the qualities I'd come up with.

And then there was another problem, one that I'd remembered from books and movies, and seemed to be backed up from my reading – it was possible for a vampire to be out and about during the daytime; the sun would surely burn them to a crisp. They slept in coffins and only ventured out at night.

Annoyed, I pushed the computer's power button a little harder than I needed to. I felt ashamed of myself. Here I was, seventeen years old, researching vampires alone in my room like an obsessed fanboy. What was wrong with me? I decided that it wasn't my fault – it was all because of Forks. If I was still in Arizona, I never would have given vampires a second thought outside of movies I'd been to.

I had to get out. I needed something to do, but there wasn't really anywhere I could go that didn't involve a long road trip. I pulled my shoes on anyway, not sure where I was going. Downstairs, I shrugged on my raincoat without bothering to check the weather and stomped out the door.

It wasn't raining yet, but it was overcast. I ignored the truck and walked across Mokuba's lawn to the the trees on the outside edge of his property. I didn't go very far inside before I couldn't see the house or the road. I was deep enough to only hear the squish of the wet earth under my shoes and the calls of various birds all throughout the treetops.

There was a thing trail winding all around the massive tree trunks, and I was glad to see it because I wouldn't be wandering out here alone without it. My sense of direction completely sucked; I could probably still get lost in the school. The trail continued further and further into the forest, heading east as far as I could tell. I followed it as long as the embarrassment and anger kept me going. As I started to calm down, my paced slowed. A few drops of moisture dripped down onto the top of my head, but I was unclear whether it was starting to rain again or if the water was left over from yesterday's storm. I spotted a recently fallen tree leaning against a Sitka spruce, creating a bench beneath the shelter of the neighbouring canopies. I stepped over the ferns and pulled my jacket down over my bum, making sure it protected me from the wet bark wherever the seat of my jeans touched it. I leaned my hooded head back against the living tree.

It wasn't the best place I could have gone. I knew that now, but where else was there? The forest was so dense and deep green and far too similar to the one I'd visited last night in my dreams. Now that I wasn't moving, the birds had stopped singing. The silence was oppressive, eating away any peace of mind I had left. The drops were increasing in frequency, which could only mean that it was raining again. Looking around, I noticed the ferns were taller than I was now that I was seated. Anyone could pass by here and not see me.

Sitting here in the quiet, it was so easy to believe the ridiculous things I'd read that had sent me here in the first place. Everything had been the same here for thousands of years, and all of the myths and stories seemed much more likely out here in the sanctuary of this green haze than they ever could in my plain old bedroom.

I forced myself to answer the two most important questions, but I wasn't very willing.

First, I had to decide whether it was possible that anything Spencer had told me could be true.

My first response was a resounding no. It was silly to even entertain the thought that it could be plausible in the least. But what, then? There was no rational explanation for how I had escaped a guy three times my size with nothing to show for it but a bruise on the side of my face. I listed everything I'd noticed myself: impossible speed and strength, the eye colour shifting from black to crimson and back again, the inhuman beauty, the pale, ice-cold skin. And more – things I'd never spared a thought before – how they never seemed to eat, the disturbing grace with which they all moved. And the way _he_ sometimes spoke, with unfamiliar phrases that would make more sense in the nineteen-twenties than a twenty-first century classroom – like he'd seen and lived through more than I could imagine. He had skipped the day we'd done blood typing. How had he known before hand? He hadn't said no to the beach trip until he heard where we were going. He seemed to know exactly what everyone, except for me, was thinking at any time.

Could the Maximillians be vampires?

Well, it was clear that they were _something_. Something that defied the boundaries of reasonable explanation was happening right in front of me. Whether it was Spencer's cold ones or my own silly superhero theory, Atem Maximillian was not human. He was something more than that.

So then – maybe. It was the best I could come up with at the moment.

And then there was the other question. The most important. If it was true, what was I going to do about it?

_If_ Atem was a vampire – it was hard even thinking the word – then what should I do? I couldn't bring anyone else into this. I was having too much trouble believing it myself; anyone I told would commit me to the closest mental house. But also, it was dangerous to say anything. To anyone. Atem had made it clear he wouldn't give me any answers. Not only because he didn't want anyone to find out – the best outcome of that was that they would be hunted down and driven away, if not seriously hurt – but also not to freak me out too badly. I didn't want to disappoint his trust this early (at all, really), because he was only starting to speak to me. I wouldn't be the one to hurt him, or anyone in his family, even though I'd only met him and one other member of his family. Even if they really _were_ something that only existed in stories; something to be feared.

There were only two options that seemed even the tiniest bit realistic. The first was to listen to him for once: to be smart, to avoid him as much as possible. To cancel the plans we'd made and go back to ignoring him. To tell him to leave me alone – and mean it this time – because deep down I knew that if I told him to go, he would listen.

The thought of losing him, considering that alternative, sent waves of agony through every nerve in my body. I pushed that away, moving on to the other option.

I could no nothing different. After all, as long as I didn't give him a reason, he wouldn't hurt me. Even if he was something... sinister, he hadn't done anything to hurt me so far. My head spun around in circles, still lacking an concrete answers.

There was one thing I knew for sure. The dark Atem I'd seen last night was only a reflection of my fear towards the word Spencer had spoken, and not the actual guy himself. Even so, when the wolf lunged toward him, when I'd screamed, it was more from the idea that _he_ would get hurt – even as he called to me with wickedly pointed fangs, I was scared _for_ him.

And I knew that this was the answer. The more I thought about it, it didn't even seem like I had much of a choice. If there ever had been one. I was already lost; in way too deep to get out. Now that I knew – _if I was right_ – I corrected myself, I couldn't do anything about it. Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his soul searching eyes, the magnetic force that was his personality, there was nothing I wanted more than to be with him. Even if ... but I couldn't think of it. Not here, alone in the rapidly darkening forest. Not while the rain made it dim as twilight under the canopy and pattered like footsteps across the dirt underneath me. I shivered and stood up, worried that somehow the rain may have washed away the path.

But of course it was there, safe and clear, winding its way out of the dense foliage. I followed it hastily, clenching my hood tight around my face, surprised at how far in I had wandered. I began to second guess myself, wondering whether I was heading out, or if I was just trekking further in. Before panic could erupt in my chest, however, I heard a car passing on the street and I was suddenly free of the trees, standing on the far edge of Mokuba's lawn. The house called to me, promising warmth and dry socks. There was no way I could refuse that offer.

It was only noon when I went inside. I went and changed into a pair of jeans and a comfy t-shirt, since I was staying inside. It didn't take much effort to make myself comfortable at the table and get started on my English paper that was due Wednesday. I completed outlining the rough draft, more content than I'd felt since Thursday afternoon. If I was honest.

I'd always been this way; I was terribly indecisive, and usually agonized over making choices. But once I'd figured out a plan of action and the decision was made, I was sticking to it. Sometimes after I'd chosen, I despaired over it, like coming to Forks, but I got over it. It was still better than going from one alternative to the next.

My most recent decision was easy to live with. No regrets there. Dangerously easy.

My Sunday was quiet, productive – I finished my paper that evening just after dinner. Mokuba came home with a large catch, so I made a note to buy a cookbook relating to fish, because there was sure to be a lot of it in the future. I'd have to pick it up in Seattle. The chills the flashed up my spine at the thought of Seattle were no different than every time I'd felt them before taking a walk with Spencer Lee. _They should be, _I thought. _I should be afraid_ – I knew that, but I couldn't feel the right kind of fear.

I didn't have any dreams that night, exhausted from starting my day so early and sleeping so poorly the night before. I opened my eyes the next morning, for the third time since arriving in Forks, to the sun. I was so elated, I skipped to the window, shocked to see that there wasn't even a cloud in sight. I opened the window – surprised when it opened so easily – and sucked in a big breath. It was close to warm and barely windy. My blood pounded eagerly through my veins.

Mokuba was finishing his last few bites of breakfast when I joined him. He picked up on my cheery mood immediately.

"Nice day," he noted.

"Yeah," I agreed, grinning.

He smiled back, his blue eyes crinkling around the edges.

I loaded my plate and ate my breakfast delightedly, watching dust mites float through the beam of sunlight that floated in through the kitchen window. Mokuba called out a goodbye as he left for work, and I heard the cruiser pull away. I hesitated on my way out the door, unsure whether or not to take my jacket. I didn't want to tempt fate, but it seemed stupid to think the sun would last all day. Finally, I folded it over my arm and stepped outside.

Ten minutes, a lot of sweating, and elbow grease later, I managed to get both windows of the truck almost completely down. I pulled into the school parking lot and realized that I was one of the first people there. I hadn't even looked at the clock all morning. I parked and headed towards one of the picnic benches on the south side of the cafeteria. They were still a little damp from the rain, so I spread my coat out underneath me and sat down. I didn't have any homework – maybe because my social life was so lacking – but I was unsure if I'd done some of my Trig problems correctly. I took my book out to see if I could figure it out, but I didn't even get halfway through the first problem before I was daydreaming. I doodled over the margins of my loose-leaf, unconcerned with anything going on around me. After a few minutes, I had five pairs of eyes watching me from the page. I scrubbed them off with my eraser.

"Yugi!" someone called, and it sounded like Joey. I turned to look and noticed that the school had seen a sharp increase in population since I'd been minding my own business. Everyone else had the same idea I had, wearing t-shirts, with no coats. Some people were even brave enough to be wearing shorts, even though the temperature probably wasn't quite warm enough for that. Joey was coming towards me in khaki shorts and a striped shirt, waving.

"Hey Joey," I called, waving back, unable to be half-hearted on a day like today.

He dropped down on the bench next to me, the tidy spikes of his blond hair shining golden in the light, that grin of his stretched across his face. He truly was delighted to see me. I couldn't help but feel gratified.

"Great day isn't it?"

"My favourite kind," I agreed.

"What did you do yesterday?" his tone was just a little too casual, snooping for information.

"I worked on my essay." I didn't bother to mention that it was done – no need to brag. That wasn't very a very attractive thing on anyone.

He lowered his forehead into his palms. "Oh yeah – it's due Friday, right?"

"Wednesday, I think."

"Wednesday?" he frowned. "That's not good... I guess I'll have to get started tonight," he said, deflated. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out."

"Oh." I was caught off guard. Why couldn't Joey and I ever have a pleasant conversation anymore with it getting so awkward? I mean, I knew that he liked me, but I thought it was clear that I only thought of him as a friend. I didn't want to hurt him, but at the same time, he couldn't keep bringing this up.

"We could go to dinner or something... and I could work on the paper later," he continued, hopefully.

"Joey..." I hated being in this position, on the spot. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

His face fell. "Why?" he asked, his eyes guarded, but watching carefully. My thoughts automatically flickered to Atem, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

"I think... and if you ever repeat any of this right now, I'll kick your butt," I threatened, "but I think that would hurt Rebecca's feelings."

He was confused, obviously not having been thinking of that at all. "Rebecca?"

"Really, Joey, are you _blind_?"

"Oh," he exhaled – dazed. I took advantage of it to beat a hasty escape.

"It's time for class, and I can't be late again." I gathered up my things and stuffed him haphazardly in my bag.

We walked together in silence to building three. His expression remained distracted the whole way there. I hoped that he was coming up with the right solution to all this.

When I saw Rebecca in Trig, she was babbling happily, enthusiastic. She, Tea, and Mai were going to Port Angeles tonight to go dress shopping for the dance, and she wanted me to come too, if not just to pick my brain about Spencer and Atem, but I debated it. I didn't really want to spend hours helping the girls figure out what to wear – I had no interest in that _at all_ – or being nagged for juicy details about my non-existent (but hopefully budding) love life. However, it would be nice to get out of town for once, even though Mai would be there. And who knew what I could find myself doing tonight... But that turned out to be the wrong path to let my mind wander down. It would give me a chance to think some more.

So I told her maybe, telling her that I'd discuss it with Mokuba first.

She didn't stop talking about anything but the dance on the way to Spanish, and continued on after class as though it hadn't been an hour since she'd last said anything, when class finally ended. We wandered down the hall on the way to lunch. I admit, I wasn't really paying attention. I was too lost in my own fog of anticipation to really listen. I was eager to see not just him, but his whole family – to compare them with the new suspicions that plagued me. As we crossed through the doors to the cafeteria, I felt the first real tinge of fear slip down my spine and settle, heavy, in the pit of my stomach. Would they be able to tell what I was thinking? And then a different feeling jolted through me – would Atem want me to sit with him again?

As I always did, I glanced towards the Maximillian table first. A shiver of panic seized me when I saw that it was empty. With dwindling hope, I searched the rest of the cafeteria hoping to see him alone, waiting for me. The place was nearly full – but there was no sign of any of those stunningly gorgeous boys. Disappointment hit me full force.

I dragged along behind Rebecca, not even making an effort to pretend I was listening anymore.

We were late enough (Spanish ran over five minutes) that everyone else was already at the table. I avoided the chair next to Joey in favour of the one near Tea. I watched Joey hold the chair out for Rebecca, and the smile that lit her face was worth it.

Tea asked me a few questions about our English paper, which I answered as naturally as I could while sinking further into depression. She invited me along to Port Angeles too, and this time I agreed, grasping for anything to steal away my attention.

I felt sick when I entered the Biology classroom and realized I'd been hoping against hope that he'd be there. I knew it was silly.

The rest of the day passed so slowly, it felt like I'd just rolled out of bed. In Gym, we were lectured on badminton rules, the next torture that was lined up for me. But this meant that I got to sit and listen instead of stumbling around on the court. The coach didn't even finish, so I looked forward to the rest of the lecture tomorrow. The day after that, though, they'd arm me with a racket before unleashing my bad luck and worse coordination on the rest of the class.

I was glad to go home after school. I would be free to sulk around before I went out tonight with Rebecca and company. But not even five minutes after I got in the door, Rebecca called to cancel. I tried to be happy that Joey had asked her to have dinner – I was relieved he was catching on, finally – but the reassurances that we could go another day sounded false in my own ears. She rescheduled anyway for tomorrow night.

Which left me no distractions. I had marinated some fish for dinner, with salad and bread left over form the night before, so even dinner was done for now. I spent the next little while on homework, but within a half hour that was done too. I checked my e-mail, reading the numerous messages from my Grandfather that I hadn't checked in a while. Every new e-mail they got snipier and snipier, so finally I sighed and typed a quick response.

_Grandpa. _

_Sorry. I've been out. I went to the beach with some friends and I had to write a paper. _

Making excuses was pathetic, so I quit trying.

_It's sunny outside today – I know, I'm stunned, too. I'm going to go outside and soak up as much Vitamin D as I can. I love you._

_Yugi._

I killed an hour with non-school related reading. I had a small collection of books that I'd brought with me to Forks. I grabbed one and went out into the backyard, grabbing a raggedy quilt from the linen cupboard at the top of the stairs.

Outside, I folded the quit in half and laid it out of reach of the shadows of the forest on the thick lawn. I had no reservation that the grass underneath would always be slightly wet, no matter how long the sun was out, so I lay on my stomach on the quilt, flipping through the pages of the book. That didn't keep my attention for long, so I rolled over onto my back and pushed my sleeves up as high as they would go, and closed my eyes. I tried hard not to think of anything other than the warmth on my skin. I focused on the heat that touched my eyelids, my cheekbones, my nose, my lips, my forearms, my neck, and soaked through my shirt...

The next thing I knew, Mokuba's cruiser was pulling into the drive. I sat up in surprise, noting for the first time that the sun was gone, hidden behind the trees. I had fallen asleep. I looked around, confused, unsure as to why I would suddenly feel like I wasn't alone in the backyard.

"Mokuba?" I called. But the only response was the front door slamming as he went inside.

I jumped up, quite edgy, gathering the now-damp quilt and my book. I ran inside to heat up the stove, realizing that dinner would be late. Mokuba was hanging up his gun belt and stepping out of his boots when I came in.

"Sorry, dinner's not ready yet – I fell asleep outside." I stifled a yawn.

"No problem," he said. "I want to know the score of the game anyway," he murmured, heading for the television.

I watched it with him for a while after dinner, for something to do. Obviously there was nothing on that I was interested in, but he knew I didn't like baseball, and made an effort to change it. In the end, he settled on a mindless sitcom that neither one of us cared for. He seemed happy enough though, that we were spending time together.

"Mokuba," I said during a commercial, "Rebecca and Tea are going to Port Angeles tomorrow night. They wanted me to go... do you mind if I go?"

"Rebecca Hawkins?" he asked.

"And Tea Gardener." I sighed as I gave him the details.

He was more than a little confused. "But you're not a girl, so you're not dress shopping," he stopped here and eyed me critically as if he thought I would suddenly confess that I had a secret liking for girl's clothes or other such nonsense, before shaking it off. "Not only that, but you're not going to the dance anyway, are you?"

"No, Mokuba, but there's some things I need there anyway, so it couldn't hurt. Too much," I tacked onto the end, because no matter what, I really didn't want to spend hours watching them try on dresses.

"Well, if you want. But it's a school night," he reminded me. Like I could forget. That would be my excuse to leave, if I really needed to use it.

"We're leaving right after school, so we'll be back early. Think you can manage dinner?"

"Yugi, I fed myself for seventeen years before you got here, remember?" He intoned critically.

"I still can't figure out how you're still alive," I muttered, then added, "I'll leave some sandwich stuff in the fridge for cold-cuts, okay? Right on the top shelf."

It was sunny again the next morning. I awakened with new hope that I tried to push back. I couldn't believe my luck. I dressed for the warmer weather in a dark blue button down – something I'd worn in the dead of winter in Arizona.

I didn't leave the house until the last minute. I'd planned to leave just so I could get to school with only enough time to make it to class. My heart sunk as I circled the parking lot, looking for an empty space. There wasn't a silver Volvo anywhere in sight. I parked in the farthest row and hurried off to English, arriving breathless, but right before the bell.

It was the same as yesterday – every time I felt the beginnings of hope, it was squashed painfully every time I searched the lunchroom in vain, and waited for my absent Biology partner.

The Port Angeles trip was on for tonight and it just sounded better and better when I found out that Mai had other things to do and couldn't make it. I was anxious to get out of town so I could stop glancing over my shoulder, hoping to see him appear out of nowhere like I always complained about. I vowed to myself that tonight would be a good night, and I wouldn't ruin Rebecca and Tea's trip. I figured that when we got there I could go my own way, get some book shopping done, and maybe even do a little clothes shopping for myself, and then meet up with the girls a bit later for something to eat. I refused to acknowledge the fear that I would be blown off for my Seattle trip this weekend. Surely he wouldn't ditch without letting me know.

After school, Rebecca followed me home in her White Mercury so that I could drop off my schoolbooks and truck. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly, feeling slightly excited for the first time in a while as I thought about leaving Forks. I left a note letting Mokuba know that I'd left, where to find food, and the estimated time I'd be back. I stuffed my wallet into my back pocket, and ran out to join Rebecca. We stopped off at Tea's, and she was already waiting. As we passed the town limits, my excitement increased exponentially. It was going to be a good night. I wouldn't let it be anything but that.

**_Author's Note: Okay, so I know that the shopping trip is kind of odd - why would he go with the girls instead of Joey or Tristan? I guess I figured that with the girls he'd have an easier time of going his own way - Joey would probably follow him around the whole time. I'd put some serious thought into the whole thing, and by giving Yugi his own agenda, it seems plausible. Also, Joey and Tristan don't really have a reason to go there, so I didn't want to get into that. I'll make this work in the next chapter, I promise._**


	9. Port Angeles

**U**sually speedy driving unsettled me, but I was so excited about getting out of Forks and getting my mind off of _him, _that I didn't put up a complaint when Rebecca drove faster than Mokuba did. Because of how fast she drove, we made it to Port Angeles shortly after four. We'd listened to old rock singles and some whiny little pop songs the whole way, while Becca gabbed in the background. She was happy how well her date with Joey had went, and was way too eager to share it with the rest of the world. I mean, sure, it was good that they'd hit it off, but there was only so many times a person wanted to hear the same story over and over. She went on about how she hoped that by Saturday, she'd have gotten the first-kiss of the relationship. Regardless how annoying it all was, I have to admit that I was a little smug. I was responsible for this in the first place, after all.

Tea was excited about the dance, but she wasn't making too much of a big deal about it. This was probably because, while she liked Tristan, she didn't really like him as the boyfriend type. That got Becca hooked on trying to figure out exactly what Tea's type _was, _but she wasn't really having any luck with getting the answers she wanted. I interrupted Rebecca's torture session by distracting her with an irrelevant question about the music playing on the radio, which I could really care less about, but I saw Tea shoot me a grateful smile.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, straight off the pages of a travel magazine. It was more polished and quaint than forks. But Rebecca and Tea had been there so many times that all of the things that interested me barely held any attraction for them. I figured it would be nice to circle around the bay and take a walk down the boardwalk, but Becca didn't even blink as she passed it, heading straight to the only department store. It was only a few minutes away from the bay.

The dance was only semi-formal, but none of us really knew that meant. When I told them that I'd never attended a dance in Phoenix, neither of the girls could believe it. I wasn't bothered by it. I'd never had anyone I'd cared enough to go with, and without that there wasn't any reason I should. I was clumsy as all get out, after all.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend?" Becca questioned dubiously as we walked into the store.

"I've never had one," I admitted. "A boyfriend, or anything close, I mean. I didn't go out much."

At this she looked downright stunned.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"No one ever asked me," I answered honestly.

She didn't seem to believe that either. "People ask you here," she reminded me, "and you say no. Heck, I didn't even know some of those guys had that _orientation_." She said slowly, and I could tell she was actually making an effort to make it seem less offensive than she must've thought it really was. But I also knew, without a doubt, she was wondering why someone as plain as me could attract someone as gorgeous as _him_ with no previous experience in what I was dating or relationships.

I was silent, thinking about this. I knew that Joey swung both ways, but I'd never really thought about anyone else's orientation before. Okay so, that's a lie, because it had been painfully obvious the other day on the beach that Spencer was a little more than just friendly, but that was a whole other story. And other than those who didn't bother to hide it, it wasn't my business. I let that go, vowing to think about it some other day.

The girls finally found the dress racks, and now they chattered away about which ones they liked better, but I found out that Rebecca wasn't going to let it go so easily.

"That's why Mai doesn't like you," she announced, pawing through the various racks. The selection wasn't large, but they still found a few things to try on. I parked myself on a waiting bench next to a large window overlooking the street, and dug out the book I'd brought. I didn't know anything about dress shopping, and I wasn't even interested in it in the first place, but I figured I should wait at least fifteen minutes for courtesy's sake before heading my own way. I offered compliments when the situation dictated, but otherwise I fumed about Mai and didn't pay much attention to Rebecca or Tea.

I clenched my teeth. There wasn't anything I could do about how much Mai loathed me. I'd heard her a few times, calling me the _boyfriend stealer _and going on to say that I'd been around the block_._ But I'd just laughed it off in the past. How could I be a boyfriend stealer when the guy she was talking about in the first place had never been hers? Plus, I still had no idea what we even were, whether he even wanted to be in a relationship with me. This time it aggravated me, because of how easily everyone just accepted that Mai hated me for no reason. I didn't think that I deserved to be disliked for something I'd never asked for but couldn't help either way.

The girls wandered over to the shoe section, but I just meandered along behind them, eventually stopping on the way to browse through CD's. I wasn't really interested in buying anything, so I just flipped through them for the sake of appearing like I wasn't off in my own world. I could still hear and see Becca and Tea browsing through the shoes from where I stood, so I hunkered down and kept busy.

Eventually though I realized that I was being silly. I _did_ need a new pair of sneakers, and I hadn't come here to stare blankly out at the back of random CD cases. I trekked the short distance over to stand before the shoe section where I could look down the two aisles in front of me.

"Tea?" I began, quietly.

Becca drifted away to look at jewelry and left us to our conversation.

"Yeah?" She held her leg out to get a better view of the strappy pink heels she was trying on.

"Those are good," I nodded at the shoes, chickening out of what I really wanted to say.

She smiled, encouraged by that, and packed the shoe back into the box next to its match.

I went on. "I know the Maximillians went camping..." I resolutely fixed my gaze on the box, not wanting her to see my expression and see through my attempt at nonchalance, "but do they do that a lot? Miss a lot of school?"

"Oh sure, every time the sun's out they pack up and go hiking or something. It's a pretty common thing for them to do – even the doctor goes. They're all pretty athletic," she responded quietly, walking with me towards the jewelry counter. I really liked that she didn't ask a million questions for every one of mine, let alone tell me random stories for every comment I made. I was beginning to think that we could actually be really good friends.

But I was thinking about what she'd said when Rebecca returned to show us the jewelry she'd found to match her dress.

We planned to finish out our trip with dinner at a little Italian restaurant overlooking the bay, but we hadn't been nearly as long shopping as the girls thought they'd be. I tried not to let it show just how happy I was to be done with the dress hunting, but I'm sure they both noticed. The girls were going to take their things to the car, and I saw the perfect oppurtunity to get a little time to myself. I told them that I'd meet them for dinner in an hour – there was some book shopping that I wanted to get done. They both offered to come with, but I insisted they to go have fun – neither of them had any idea how preoccupied I could get in a bookstore, and I'm sure they didn't want to spend their trip following a boy around town when they could get in some quality girl time. Plus, book shopping was just something I'd always preferred to do alone.

It wasn't a problem finding the bookstore, but it wasn't exactly what I'd hoped it would be. The windows were full of dream-catchers, crystal balls, and a huge display about spiritual healing. I bypassed it completely. I could see a fifty-year old woman bent over a magazine on the front counter, her long, gray hair straight and cascading down around the side of her face. She was clad in a dress that might've come straight from the sixties. I had a weird feeling that any possible conversation with her might just unsettle me even more than I was already. There had to be another bookstore in town – a regular, every-day, welcoming little bookstore.

I weaved through the streets slowly, which were filling up with people just getting off work. I hoped I was headed in the general direction of downtown, but I really had no clue. I wasn't paying as much attention as I probably should have been; I was battling my thoughts. I was trying my hardest not to think about _him_, his family, and what Tea had said. More than anything, though, I was trying to beat down my hope and excitement for Saturday. I feared that he'd let me down; that he'd blow me off, or suddenly decide that I wasn't worth all the time he was spending on me. Then I glanced around to see where I was and noticed someone's silver Volvo parked alongside a drugstore and everything I'd been trying to keep at bay came rushing back to me. _Stupid, unreliable vampire,_ I thought to myself. And that made me stop right up. I wasn't sure when I'd started to really believe it, really admit it, really think about it other than when I was trying to imagine if it were possible. Suddenly everything made sense. I was certifiably nuts.

I stomped off in what I believed to the be south direction, towards a row of shops that looked promising. But when I reached them, I didn't find a bookstore; just a repair shop, a vacant space, and a store filled with greeting cards and party favours. I checked my watch and saw that I had way too much time before I could meet up with the girls. That was a good thing. I definitely had to get my mood straightened out before I met up with them. I scrubbed a hand down the side of my face and took a few deep breaths before I continued down the street.

It didn't take me very long to realize that I'd gone the wrong way. The traffic was thinning out, and the streets became wider and less bright; there were more warehouses than shops. I turned east at the next corner, and decided that I'd loop back up and try my luck on a different street on the way back to the boardwalk.

As I considered this, a group of guys passed by, heading in the same direction. They were dressed too casually to be heading home from work, but they were more grimy than any tourist would be. I noticed that they weren't too much older than I was. They were laughing loudly, joking raucously between them, and pushing each other around. I walked as close to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to let them pass, slightly nervous. I walked swiftly, looking straight in the direction I was going. I didn't want any trouble.

"Hey, you!" One shouted at me just before I could reach the corner. My heart leapt into my throat; there was no way he could've been talking to anyone else. I was the only one around. I glanced up automatically, watching them carefully. Two of them had paused, and the other two were slowing to see what the commotion was about. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man who had to be no older than twenty-five, seemed to be the one who had called out for me. He had an open flannel shirt over a raggedy t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals. He took a step toward me and I drew back without thinking, pressing close to the building behind me.

"Hi," I murmured. Then I turned my head and walked faster toward the other side of the corner. I could hear them laughing louder now, closer behind me.

"Hey, wait for me!" one of them called again, but I didn't slow down and kept my head looking down at my feet. I rounded the corner with a sigh or relief, but I could still hear them behind me.

I was on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several dull warehouses, each with large unloading bays for trucks, locked up tight for the night. The south side of the street didn't have a sidewalk, only a barbed wire fence protecting a yard full of engine parts. I'd wandered far out of the central hub of Port Angeles, that I, as a tourist, was supposed to see. I should never have come this far. And it was getting dark. Every minute the sun was sinking lower, getting more and more hidden by the clouds. And it was getting colder too. I'd left my jacket in Rebecca's car. I shivered and crossed my arms across my chest, rubbing my hands up and down my biceps. Only one van passed me; the road was empty otherwise.

The sky kept blackening up as I walked, and as I looked over my shoulder to check out the clouds, I started in fear when I saw two guys walking quietly behind me, not even twenty feet away.

They had been a part of the same group of people I'd just passed at the corner, though neither of them was the dark-haired guy that had first called to me. I turned to look ahead of me at once, walking faster. A chill suddenly shot down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold temperature. My wallet was in my front pocket, where you were supposed to put it so it wouldn't be snatched. I knew that I didn't have anything I could defend myself with if I was attacked. I knew that I didn't have too much money in my wallet, just about forty dollars, but I thought about dropping it "accidentally" and walking away. But a quiet but insistent voice in my head told me that these men were more than pretty thieves.

I kept my ears tuned to their quiet footsteps, hating that they were so different from the boisterous pace they'd been making when I first encountered them. It suggested that they didn't want to arouse suspicion, and that settled in the forefront of my mind to stay. But it didn't sound like they were moving faster or getting closer, just keeping a good distance between us. _Breathe, _I reminded myself. _Maybe you're just paranoid. There's no evidence they're following you. _I focused on the right-hand turn that was just a few yards away now.

I reached it, but a quick glance showed me that it was only a blind alley to the back of another building. I was already high-strung, and half-turned around to consider my options. This was a dead-end; the only way to go was back or to hurriedly dash across the narrow alley, back to the sidewalk. The street ended at the next corner where there was a stop sign. I concentrated on the faint footsteps behind me, contemplating whether or not I should run. Even though they sounded a decent distance away, I knew that if they wanted they could outrun me. I was sure to trip and go sprawling, and even if I didn't, I didn't have enough stamina to run for long. I risked another glance back; they were further away now, but they were staring straight at me.

It seemed to take forever for me to reach the corner. I kept a steady pace, and for every step I took, they fell farther behind me. Maybe they were sorry they had freaked me out. _Not likely, _my mind snorted at me. I saw two cars going north past the intersection I was heading for, and I blew out a breath in relief. After I turned off this street, I was sure that there would be more people around. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh.

And then felt desperation rise in me as I skidded to a stop.

The street was lined on both sides by blank, windowless, doorless, brick walls. I could see, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more people, but it was quite a large distance away. Because leaning back against the walls of the western building, halfway down the street, were the other two men from the group. They were both watching me with crooked smiles as I stood frozen on the sidewalk. A feeling worse than dread settled in my stomach; I hadn't been followed, I had been manipulated.

It must've been only a second from the time I realized all this to when I darted back to the other side of the road, but the footsteps behind me were so much closer now than they had ever been. I had a sinking feeling that any attempt as escape would be futile.

"There you are," the booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man sing-songed ahead of me. In the darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump as I tried to hurry down the street. "We just thought it would be a nice night to take a detour."

I forced myself to slow down. I was closing the distance between the lounging pair too fast. I sucked in a huge breath of air, preparing to scream as loudly as I could, but my throat was dry enough that I wasn't sure how successful I'd be. I stuffed my hand in my pocket, grasping my wallet, thankful for the heavy weight of it in my hand. I didn't want to get to close, but if I had to use it to bludgeon someone just enough to slip away, I was ready.

The leader pushed away from the wall as I slid to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay over there," I warned in what was supposed to sound strong and fearless. Instead it was shaky and weak – no volume.

"Don't be like that, man, we don't want no problems," he replied, and the boisterous laughter rung out like a shot behind me.

I braced myself, feet shoulder-width apart, trying to remember the little self-defense I had learned from the classes Grandpa had made me take back in Arizona. Heel of the hand thrust upward in order to break the nose, or maybe even drive it up into your attacker's brain. Finger through the eye – blinding someone would definitely slow them down. And then the standard, knee to the groin. Even as I went over that, that pessimistic voice in my head told me that if it came to a fight, I'd have no chance against one, let alone the four of them. _Shut up!_ I commanded the voice before terror could completely seize me. If I was going down, I wasn't going down without kicking and screaming. I'd take someone down with me.

I heard the screeching of tires before headlights temporarily blinded me. When I could see again, the stocky guy was pressed against the wall behind him, the car less than three feet away from him. I dove into the road – I had no idea who the driver was, but _this_ car would either have to stop or hit me. But then the silver vehicle fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open in front of me.

"Get in," a furious voice demanded.

It surprised me how instantaneously the hysterical fear vanished, how amazing it was to feel so secure and safe at that moment – even before I scrambled off my knees to get in the car – as soon as I heard his voice.

It was dark in the car, but compared to the dots of light that was still spearing through my eyelids, I was glad. The light hadn't come on when the door opened, and I could just barely make out his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun the vehicle around to face the north, accelerating way too fast, swerving towards the stunned guys on the street. I watched them dive for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped for the harbour.

"Put on your seatbelt," he ordered, and I realized my knuckles were gripped so tightly onto the seat that they were bone white. I didn't hesitate to obey; the click as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. He took a sharp left, racing forward, not bothering to stop at any of the stop signs we passed.

But through all that, I felt safer than I had in weeks, and totally unconcerned for where he would take me. I stared at his face in relief, relief that went way beyond my sudden deliverance. I studied his flawless features in the limited light, waiting until I could breathe somewhat normally again, until it hit me that this expression was the most murderous I'd ever seen it.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, surprised at how hoarse it came out.

"No," he responded immediately, and his tone was malicious.

I had no idea how to respond, so I settled for watching his face while those blazing eyes stared straight ahead, until the car jerked to a stop. I glanced around to see where we were, but it was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of trees on the edge of the road. We'd left town.

"Yugi?" he asked, curtly, his voice controlled.

"Yes?" My voice was still shaky. I tried to clear my throat.

"Are you all right?" He kept his face angled away, but I could tell he was still mad because the fury was plain on the set of his jaw.

"Yes," I responded softly.

"Distract me, please," he ordered, but it sounded more like the plea it was than any kind of demand.

"Uh, what?"

He exhaled sharply.

"Just talk about anything. Important or not until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and leaning his head forward on the steering wheel, fingers closed tightly around it.

"Um." I considered what to say. "I think I might put food coloring in Mai Valentine's drink tomorrow at lunch...?"

His eyes were still squeezed together, but I swear the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Why?"

"She's telling everyone a bunch of crap about how I stole her boyfriend and then went on to someone else – I figure that if I turn her teeth funky colours she'll be more likely to keep her mouth zipped for a while. I mean, I don't even know what she's talking about, and I'm sure no one does either, but still. She's absolutely rotten to everyone, and I think everyone could do with a great laugh...," I babbled on.

"I heard about it." He sounded more composed.

"_You_ did?" I asked, suddenly embarrassed; I'd hoped that he would never hear any of it, even if it wasn't true. It's just not something you want anyone – let alone your potential boyfriend – to think about. My initial irritation at Mai returned full force.

Atem sighed, finally opening his eyes.

"Doing better?" I asked quietly.

"Not really," he admitted.

I waited for him to go on, but he didn't. He just leaned back against the seat, staring at the ceiling. His face was rigid, all hard lines.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"I've told you, Yugi. Sometimes I have trouble controlling myself." He whispered back, and as he stared out the window, those ruby eyes narrowed into slits. "But if I turn around right now I'm going to do something that I'll regret to those..." He didn't finish his sentence, attempting to rein his temper back in. "At least, I'm trying to make myself believe that this is the right thing to do."

"Oh." It wasn't enough, but it was the only thing I could force out.

It was quiet again. I glanced at the clock as I twined my thumbs together. It was past six-thirty.

"Rebecca and Tea will be wondering where I got to," I murmured. "We were supposed to meet up."

He started the engine back up without a word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. The streetlights greeted us in no time at all. We were still going too fast for comfort, weaving easily through the cars and pedestrians on the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb effortlessly, even though I didn't think there was enough room. I looked out the window to see the lights of the Italian restaurant, La Bella Italia, and Becca and Tea pacing anxiously back and forth just outside the exit.

"How did you..." I began, but then figured it would be best just to let it go. I heard the door open and turned to watch him get out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to dinner," he smiled slightly, and his tone suggested that I shouldn't ask silly questions, but his eyes were still hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. I fumbled with my seatbelt, and then hurried to follow him. He was waiting for me on the sidewalk.

He spoke before I could say anything. "Go stop Rebecca and Tea before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could control myself if I ran into your other friends."

I shivered at the threat that was so barren in his voice.

"Becca! Tea!" I yelled, waving when they turned. They rushed over to me, the relief on their faces changing to surprise as they saw who I was with. They hesitated and came to a stop a few feet away.

"Where did you get to?" Rebecca's voice was suspicious.

"I, uh, I got lost," I admitted sheepishly. "And then I ran into Atem." I gestured vaguely in his direction.

"Would it be fine if I joined you?" he asked in that charming, irresistible, silken voice he had. I could see in their eyes that they'd never been on the receiving end of it before.

"Oh... yeah," Rebecca breathed.

"Well actually, Yugi, we ate while we were waiting – sorry," Tea confessed.

"That's fine – I'm not really that hungry." I shrugged.

"I think you should eat." Atem's voice interrupted, low, but slightly commanding. He looked over at the girls and spoke slightly louder. "Would it be okay for me to take Yugi home tonight? You won't have to wait for him while he has something to eat."

"Er, no problem, I guess..." Rebecca bit her lip, trying to figure out if this was something I was okay with. I smiled at her and winked. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend time with my habitual protector. I had so many questions that I wanted him to answer, but they were things I couldn't ask until we were alone.

"That's great," Tea replied, enthusiastically, quicker than Rebecca. "See you tomorrow, Yugi... Atem." She grabbed Rebecca's hand and tugged her down the walk to the car, which was parked pretty close. As they got in, Becca turned and waved, with a serious look that promised me I'd be telling her all about it next time we saw each other. I waved back, watching them drive away before I turned back to gaze at him.

"Honestly. You didn't need to do this, I'm not hungry," I insisted, scrutinizing him. His face was unreadable.

"Please? Just, humour me."

He walked to the door and held it open for me, making it clear that this wasn't up for discussion. I walked past him with a resigned sigh.

It wasn't crowded inside the restaurant – it was off-season here in Port Angeles. The hostess looked Atem over from head to toe as we approached. She welcomed him a little more eagerly than was strictly necessary. I couldn't help the white hot streak of jealousy that poured through my veins at this. But then I was overcome with surprise at exactly how much it bothered me. She was several inches taller than I was, and blonde. Plus, I wasn't even strictly sure yet which team Atem played for, which left me feeling awkward and out of sorts.

"A table for two?" His voice was alluring, whether that was intentional or not. I saw her eyes flicker to me and then away, as if she was satisfied that we were nothing more than just friends out for a bite to eat. I knew that she also noted how plain and ordinary I was, as well as the cautious space between us. She led us to the middle of the floor, the most crowded area, to a table big enough for four.

I was moving to sit, but Atem shook his head at me.

"Could we have something a little more private?" he insisted quietly. I wasn't sure, but I was pretty sure I saw him slide her a tip. This was the first time I'd ever seen anyone refuse a table. Actually, I had really believed that it only happened in movies.

"O-Of course," she sounded as surprised as I was. She turned and led us in the opposite direction – around a partition to a small ring of booths. All of them were empty. "Will this do?"

"Perfect." He flashed her his gleaming smile, stunning her momentarily.

"Um," she shook her head, blinking. "Your server will be right with you." She walked away unsteadily.

"You shouldn't do that to people," I reprimanded. "It's not exactly fair."

"Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that – she's probably having a heart attack in the kitchen."

He seemed confused.

I stared at him, incredulous as I sat down. "Oh, come on," I said dubiously. "There's _no way_ you don't know how you affect people."

He tilted his head the least little bit to the left. "I dazzle people?"

"You seriously haven't noticed? How do you think you get what you want so easily?"

He pointedly ignored that. **"**Do I dazzle _you_?"

"Quite a bit, actually," I admitted.

Our server interrupted us, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished the juicy details behind the scenes, and the new girl didn't look disappointed at what she found waiting for her. She flipped a strand of her short, black hair behind her ear and smiled hugely.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was only speaking to him.

He looked at me.

"A coke for me." It sounded like a question.

"Two cokes," Atem replied.

"I'll be right back with those, then," she assured him with another unnecessary smile. But he didn't notice. He was still watching me.

What?" I asked when she disappeared.

His eyes stayed fixed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, surprised by how intense he was being.

"You aren't the least bit dizzy, cold, sick...?"

"Why? Should I be?"

He laughed at my confused tone.

"Well, you're much better than I expected you to be. I'm waiting for you to go into shock." His mouth twisted up into that perfect crooked smile of his.

"Better stop waiting," I warned after I could breathe again. "I've become really good at repressing unpleasant memories."

"If it's just the same, then, it would make me feel better if you have some food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our sodas and a basket of breadsticks. She angled her back to face me as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked Atem.

"Yugi?" he asked. The waitress slowly turned towards me, but I could tell it was unwillingly.

I looked down at the menu and picked the first item. "Um, the mushroom ravioli sounds good."

"What about you?" She turned back to him with a smile.

"Nothing for me," he answered. Of course not.

"Let me know if you have a change of mind." The smile was still in place, but it dropped as she realized he wasn't paying any attention to her. She left, dissatisfied.

"Drink," he ordered.

I took a huge sip obediently, but sipped slowly afterwards. I was really thirsty, and I guess I didn't notice until my glass was empty and he was pushing his untouched pop across the table.

"Thanks," I replied, still thirsty. I wrapped my fingers around the glass, but made no move to sip it. The cold from the icy drink was radiating through my arm all the way through to my chest. I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"It's just the Coke," I explained, shivering again.

"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice was disapproving, but not quite reprimanding.

"Yeah." I looked at the empty bench next to me, expecting to find it. "Oh – I left it in Rebecca's car," I realized.

Before I could even finish my sentence Atem was sliding out of his jacket. I suddenly realized that I'd never paid attention to what he was wearing – not just tonight, but ever. I guess this was because whenever I was with him I couldn't seem to look away from his face. I forced myself to look now, focusing. The coat he was removing was a dark leather jacket; underneath he wore a dark blue turtleneck sweater. It fit him snugly, emphasizing how muscular he really was.

I felt the fabric of the jacket against my fingers as he handed it to me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Thanks," I said again, slipping my arms into his jacket.

It was ice cold inside – the way my coat when I first picked it up in the morning, hanging in the drafty entryway all night. I shrunk down into my chair, effectively making the jacket collar ride up around my face. Secretly, I inhaled, trying to identify what it smelled like. It didn't smell like cologne. The sleeves were way too long for me, so I bunched them up around my elbows so I could get my hands out.

"That colour violet looks great with your skin," he said, still watching me. It surprised me; I looked down, flushing, of course.

He pushed the bread basket towards me with two long fingers.

"Really, I'm not going into shock," I protested.

"You should be – a _normal_ person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how bright they were, the brightest I'd ever seen them, a radiant ruby.

"I feel so safe with you," I confessed, enthralled into telling the truth. But then I gathered my wits and said, "But we both know that neither one of us are normal."

That displeased him; his marble brow furrowed. He shook his head, frowning.

"This is much more complicated than I'd planned on," he mumbled to himself.

I picked up a breadstick and began picking off tiny pieces to pop in my mouth, calculating the expression on his face. I waited for any sign that it would be okay to start questioning him.

"Huh. Usually you're less moody when your eyes are so bright," I noted, trying to distract him from whatever he was thinking that was making him frown.

He stared at me, stunned. "What?"

"You're always snappish when your eyes are black – I expect this kind of behaviour then," I went on. "I have a theory about that."

His eyes narrowed. "More theories."

"Just one," I corrected, nibbling on the end of a new breadstick, trying to look indifferent.

"I hope that it's much more creative this time... or are you stealing from other comic books?" The whisper of a smile was mocking; his eyes tight again. I wasn't really in the mood to be made of – I was dedicated to getting my answers.

"I had help," I admitted, "but not from a comic book."

"And?" he prompted.

But the waitress chose now to stride around the partition with my food. I noticed how we'd been unconsciously leaning closer over the table, because we both straightened up as she approached. She set the pasta in front of me – it did look good – and turned quickly to Atem.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "There's _nothing_ I can get for you?" I might have been imagining the double meaning in her words, but I'm confident that she meant it exactly the way I had heard it.

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." He gestured with a pale hand to the empty cups in front of me.

"Sure." She snatched the empty glasses up and walked away.

"You were saying?" he inquired.

"I'll tell you in the car. If..." I paused.

"Conditions?" He snorted, raising one eyebrow. "Of course there are conditions," he muttered.

"I have a few questions I want you to answer."

"Of course." He relented.

Amber was back with two more Cokes. She didn't even bother to say anything this time, setting them on the table and walking away.

I took a sip.

"Well, go ahead," he pushed, his voice still hard, but careful.

I started with what I figured would be the least invasive, the one he was most likely to answer.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He dropped his gaze then, folding his hands together on the table. His eyes flickered up at me from user his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face.

"Next."

"But that's the easiest," I objected.

"Next," he repeated.

I looked away from him, biting my lip in frustration. I took my time unrolling my silverware, and then picked up my fork. I speared a piece ravioli and munched on it, chewing while I thought. The mushrooms were pretty good. I swallowed my mouthful and took another sip of soda.

"Okay then," I sighed, glaring up at him. I continued slowly. "Let's say, purely hypothetically, of course, that ... someone ... could know what people are thinking, mind reading, you know – with a few exceptions."

"Just _one_," he corrected, "one exception, hypothetically.

"All right, with one exception, then." I was delighted that he was playing along, and I knew that I had one chance. I tried to make it seem casual, despite how interested I was. "How does it work? What are the limitations? Would... that someone ... be able to find someone else at the right time? How would he know if the exception was in trouble?" I wondered if these convoluted questions even made sense.

"Hypothetically?"

"Oh yeah."

"Well, if... that someone..."

"Let's call him 'Joe'," I suggested.

He smiled wryly. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite as exact." He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Only _you_ could get into trouble in a town this small. You could have single-handedly annihilated their crime rates for a decade."

"This was hypothetical," I reminded, coldly.

He full out laughed at me, then, his eyes warm.

"Yeah, we were," he agreed. "Does that make you 'Jane'?"

"How did you know?" I demanded, intensely. I let the fact that he'd just referred to me as a girl slide just this once. I leaned towards him again.

The expression on his face flickered for a moment. He seemed to be torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes were still locked with mine, and I knew right then that he was trying to decide whether or not to tell me the truth.

"You know that you can trust me," I murmured. I reached out instinctively to grasp his folded hands, but he pulled them away. If I hadn't been watching so closely, I might've thought that it was accidental, but the tick in his jaw let me know that he'd avoided it on purpose.

"I don't think you're giving me a choice anymore." He confessed in a whisper. "I was wrong – you're much more observant than I thought you were."

I smiled. "I thought you were always right."

"Before I met you." He shook his head again. "I was wrong about something else, too. You're not just an accident magnet; you're a magnet for _trouble_. It will always find you."

"And you belong in the trouble category?" I asked unflinchingly.

His face turned cold, emotionless and empty. "Indisputably."

I reached across the table one again – ignoring him when he attempted to pull back again – and brushed my fingertips over the top of his hand shyly. His skin was freezing and hard, like a stone.

"Thank you." My voice was earnest with gratitude. "That's the second time."

His face softened. "Let's not try for the third."

I scowled, but nodded. His hands slipped out from under mine, placed on his lap under the table. But he did lean forward.

"I followed you," he admitted quickly. "I can't say as I've ever tried to keep someone alive before, and it's quite a bit more work than I expected it to be. But that's probably because I'm trying to protect _you._ Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many problems." He paused there. I thought it was odd that he had followed me, but I was surprised to note that it didn't bother me as much as it should have; instead I felt a surge of happiness. He stared, maybe wondering why my eyes lit up.

"Did you ever think that maybe it was just my time when you stepped in the first time, with the bully, and you've been interfering with destiny?" I contemplated.

"That wasn't the first time," he said quietly. I stared at him curiously, but he wasn't looking at me. "Your number was up the first time you met me."

I felt a spike of fear ignite in my stomach that disappeared as soon as it came. I remembered the violent ebony of his glare that first day in Biology... but the overwhelming sense of safety I felt in his presence smothered it out. By the time he looked up to read my eyes, I'd schooled my face back into an indifferent expression.

"You remember?" he asked, face grave.

"Yes." I responded calmly.

"But you're still here." There was a trace a disbelief weighing down his voice; he raised one perfect eyebrow.

"Yes. I'm still here, because of you." I hesitated. "Because you somehow knew exactly how to find me today...?" I prompted.

He pressed his lips together, focusing on me through narrowed eyes, deciding again. His eyes darted down to my almost untouched dinner, and then back to me.

"If you eat, I'll talk," he bargained.

I stabbed another ravioli and popped it in my mouth.

"It's harder than it should be – keeping track of you. Usually everything's so easy. After I've heard someone's mind, I can find them effortlessly." He watched me anxiously, and I realized I had frozen. I made myself swallow, then scooped up another bite and tossed it in.

"I had to keep tabs on your friends, not carefully – like I said, only _you_ could find trouble here – and at first I didn't notice when you split up. Then, when I realized you weren't with Rebecca anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. When I got there, I knew you hadn't went in, and that you'd went south. I knew you'd have to come back soon, so I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the streets to see if they had noticed you so I would know where you were. I didn't have any reason to be worried..." He was lost in thought, staring blankly over my shoulder.

"I started to drive in circles, still... listening. But by then the sun was setting, and I was about to get out to follow you on foot. And then – " He stopped, and his jaw clenched in sudden fury. He breathed out a couple times to try and calm himself.

"Then what?" I whispered. He continued to stare over my shoulder.

"I heard what they were thinking," he growled, his upper lip curling back into what could've been a sneer. "I saw you in his mind." He leaned forward, one elbow propped onto the table edge. He laid his face in the palm of his hand. The movement was so fast I jumped.

"It was... so hard – you can't imagine how hard – for me to just load you in the car and leave them alive." His voice was muffled by his hand. And although I knew he was dangerous, I guess I never thought about what that would mean. Hearing him talk about killing someone like it was nothing, well, it worked to unsettle me. "I could have dropped you off with Rebecca and Tea, but I was afraid to let you go. If I did, I knew I'd turn around," he admitted in a quiet breath of air.

I sat quietly, dazed, not quite knowing what to think. My hands were folded in my lap, and my shoulders were slumped weakly against the back of the booth. He still had his face in his hand, and he was as still as if he was the statue his skin resembled.

Finally he looked up, his eyes seeking mine, full of questions and something else I couldn't determine. Worry? Fear? About what?

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.

"Yes please," I replied, overly grateful that were had the hour-long car ride home together. Even after everything he'd just said, the most open he'd ever been with me, I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

The waitress appeared at our table like a ghost, or as if she'd been watching us like a hawk.

"How is everything?" she asked Atem.

"We're ready for the check, thanks." His voice was quiet, rough, reflecting the weight of our conversation. It seemed to confuse her. He looked up, expectantly.

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather billfold from the front pocket of her apron and handed it to him.

There was money in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it back to her.

"You keep the change." He smiled. Then he stood up, and I scrambled up onto my feet.

She smiled at him once more, invitingly. "You have a nice evening."

He didn't look away from me as he thanked her. I suppressed a giddy smile.

He walked close beside me to the door, but still far enough away that we weren't touching. I remembered what Rebecca had been saying about her relationship with Joey, and how they were almost to the first-kiss stage and sighed. It would be a long time off for me. Atem seemed to hear me, he looked down curiously but said nothing. I directed my gaze to the sidewalk, grateful that he couldn't tell what I was thinking.

He opened the passenger door for me graciously, and held it for me as I climbed in, shutting it softly behind me. I followed his path around the front of the vehicle with my eyes, amazed again, by how graceful he was. I probably should have been used to it by now, but I wasn't. I guessed that Atem – and his family – weren't people you just _got used to_.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater up as high as it would go. It had gotten cold outside since we'd been in the restaurant, and I figured the nice weather was reaching the end. His jacket was warm enough, though, and I breathed in the smell of it when I thought he couldn't see me.

Atem pulled out through traffic, without glancing to see if anything was coming. He headed toward the freeway.

"Now," he said after a while of silence, significantly, "it's your turn."

**Okay guys, let me know what you think. I'm trying to expand on some points made in the book, deviating where I can, but attempting to keep things recognizable, unsure of how much leeway that gives me. And I've decided that I'll try to update at least once a week, but that depends on what my schedule works out like. I'm supposed to get my wisdom teeth out in two weeks, and that might slow updates down for a that week, so I'm not promising that this update schedule will stick. Also, because it's been a long time since I've said this last, I don't own either Yu-Gi-Oh or Twilight. **


	10. Theories

"**C**an I just ask you one more?" I pleaded as he stepped down on the gas, accelerating more quickly than I was strictly comfortable with. He didn't seem to be paying that much attention to the road.

He sighed.

"Just one," he agreed. He was watching me from the corner of his eye, pressing his lips together in a hard, but cautious line.

"Uh, well, you told me that you knew that I hadn't went into the bookstore, and that I had gone south. I was hoping you could tell me how you knew that?"

He glanced away, considering this for a long moment.

I frowned, whining, "I thought we were past this evasiveness."

The corner of his lips quirked up at that.

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "I followed your scent." He deliberately stared at the road, giving me a minute to let it sink in as well as giving me enough time to wipe the shock off my face. I didn't think there was any kind of appropriate response, so I sat quietly pondering on it. After I didn't get anywhere with it, I filed it away for future consideration and then refocused. I wasn't ready for him to sink back into his normal habit of vague comments with no elaboration, now that he was finally answering some of my questions.

"And then you didn't answer the first question I asked..." I stalled.

I bet he thought I'd forgotten, because he cast me a disapproving frown. "Which one was that?"

"How does the mind reading thing work? Can you read anyone's mind? Anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family do the same...?" I felt silly, asking questions on what had been a hypothetical conversation, but I needed these answers. They were important to me because I felt like we could never move onward without me knowing just a little bit more about how he worked.

"That's way more than one question," he pointed out. I shrugged, waiting for a proper answer.

"No, it's just me. And I can't hear everyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar the person's ... 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. But never more than a few miles." He paused thoughtfully. "It's like being in a huge hall filled with people, and everyone's talking at the same time. It's just a hum – a bunch of voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice specifically, and then anything they're thinking is clear to me.

"Most of the time I don't bother to listen – I tune out because it's all very distracting. And it's easier to seem _normal_ that way" – he frowned as he said the word 'normal' – "when I'm not accidentally replying to something they're thinking about, instead of something that they said."

"And why do you think you can't hear me?" I asked curiously.

He looked at me, his eyes cryptic.

"I don't know," he murmured. "The only guess I've come up with is that your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs does. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and all I can hear is the FM." He grinned at me, suddenly amused.

I didn't think it was as funny as he did, apparently. "My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" This bothered me more than it should – probably because I'd asked myself that a lot in the past. Especially lately, so to have him confirm it was more than a little daunting.

"I tell you I hear voices in my head and you're worried that _you're_ the the freak?" he laughed incredulously. "Don't worry, it's only a theory. I don't really know why..." His jaw tightened. "Which brings us right back to you."

I sighed. How should I start?

"I thought we were past all the avoidance," he reminded me softly.

I turned to look out the window, trying to find the proper words, but that was the point where my glance wavered over the speedometer.

"Whoa!" I shouted. "You have to slow down!"

"What? Why?" he was startled. But he didn't let off the gas pedal.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" I shrieked. I shot a panicked glance out the window, but it was pretty dark out, so I still couldn't see anything. Only the road was visible in the patches of brightness from the headlights. The forest along the road was like a brick wall – it would be hard as steel and unforgiving if we happened to veer off the highway at this speed.

"Relax Yugi," he murmured, still not slowing down.

"Are you trying to kill us?" I demanded.

"We won't crash."

I tried to calm down. "Why are we in such a hurry?"

"I always drive like this." He turned to smile at me crookedly.

"Don't look at me! Look at the road!"

"I've never had an accident in my life, Yugi"– at this he seemed to be enjoying another one of those jokes only he understood – "I've never even gotten a ticket." He grinned and tapped his forehead. "Built-in radar detector."

"Ha ha ha," I fumed. "Remember that Mokuba's a cop. I was raised to follow the rules of the road. Besides, if you do happen to turn this car into a Volvo pretzel with a tree, you could probably just get up and walk away."

"Probably," he agreed with a cold, hard laugh. "But you can't." He sighed and I watched with relief as he finally took me seriously and the speedometer needle began to drop down to eighty. "Happy now?"

"Getting there."

"I hate driving slow," he muttered.

"You call this slow?"

"Enough commentary on my driving," he snapped. "I'm still waiting for you to tell me your theory."

I sucked my lip between my teeth. He looked down at me, his crimson eyes softening a little.

"I won't laugh," he promised.

"I'm more afraid that you'll be angry."

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

He waited. I was looking down at my thumbs as I twirled them, so I couldn't see his expression.

"I don't know where to start," I admitted.

"You said you didn't come up with this on your own, so why don't you start there? At the beginning."

"No."

"What got you started – a book? A movie?" he probed.

"No – it was when we went to the beach on Saturday." I risked a glance up at his face. He looked puzzled.

"I ran into an old family friend – Spencer Lee," I continued. "His dad and Mokuba have been friends since before I was born."

He still looked confused.

"His dad is one of the Quileute elders." Because I was watching him again, I saw the confused expression freeze on his face. His fingers tightened minutely on the steering wheel. "We went for a walk – " I edited all of my scheming and flirting out of the story "– and he was telling me some of their legends – trying to scare me, I think. He told me one..." I hesitated, here.

"Go on," he said.

"About vampires," I whispered. I couldn't look at him now, but his knuckles tightened once more, convulsively.

"And that made you think of me?" Still calm.

"No. He... mentioned your family."

He didn't say anything, just stared at the road.

I was worried, suddenly, irrationally, about protecting Spencer.

"He was certain it was just a silly story," I said quickly. "He didn't believe it, and he really didn't expect me to pay much attention to it, either." It didn't seem like it was enough; I had to confess what I'd done. "It was really my fault – I bribed him to tell me."

"Why?"

"Mai said something about you – she was trying to get me upset. And then an older boy from the tribe said your family wasn't allowed on the reservation, only he wouldn't say why. So I got Spencer alone and I tricked it out of him," I admitted, dropping my eyes to my lap.

He surprised me by laughing. I pouted up at him, but he didn't see. He was laughing, was his expression was fierce and he was staring straight ahead.

"Tricked him how?" he asked.

"I tried to flirt with him – it worked pretty good, considering." I smiled, remembering.

"I'd like to have seen it," he murmured, chuckling darkly. "And you accuse me of dazzling people – poor Spencer Lee."

I blushed and looked out the window.

"What did you do then?" he inquired after a minute.

"I did some research on the Internet."

"And did that convince you?" His voice sounded detached, barely interested. But his hands were still clamped around the wheel, and he was staring at me again.

"Nope. Nothing really fit. Most of it was more than a little silly. But then..." I hesitated.

"What?" he probed.

"I decided that it didn't matter," I whispered.

"It didn't _matter_?" His tone was what made me look up – the carefully composed mask he wore had finally shattered. His face was incredulous, with maybe more than the hint of anger I'd expected.

"No." I replied softly. "I don't care what you are."

A hard, mocking edge entered his voice. "You don't care that I'm a _monster_? If I'm not _human_?"

"No."

He didn't reply, staring straight ahead again. His face was bleak and cold, closed off.

"You're mad," I sighed. "I knew I should've kept my mouth shut."

"No," he said, but the tone was as hard as his expression. "I'd rather know what you're thinking – even if it is insane."

"So that means I'm wrong again?" I demanded.

"That's not what I was referring to. 'It doesn't matter'!" he quoted, grinding his teeth together.

I gasped. "Does that mean that I _am_ right?"

"Does it _matter_?" he repeated.

I sucked in a deep breath.

"Not really," I paused, "but I _am_ curious." My voice, at least, was composed.

He leaned farther back in his seat and his voice was resigned. "What are you curious about?"

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answered immediately.

"And how long have you been seventeen?"

His lips quirked up as he stared at the road. "A while," he finally admitted.

"Okay," I smiled, letting him off the hook for now. I was pleased that he was still being honest with me. He glanced down at me with those worried eyes of his, much as he had in the past, when he was worried that I'd go into shock or soemthing. I smiled widely in encouragement, and he frowned.

"No laughing – but how can you come out during the daytime?"

He laughed anyway. "Myth."

"Burned up by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth," he hesitated for a moment, and an odd tone entered his voice. "I can't sleep."

I took a minute to absorb that. "At all?"

"Never," he said, his voice nearly inaudible. He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. His crimson eyes held mine, and my train of thought skidded off the rails. I stared at him until he looked away.

"You haven't asked me the most important question yet." His voice was hard now, and when he looked at me his eyes were cold.

I blinked, still slightly dazed. "Which one would that be?"

"You aren't concerned about what I eat?" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh," I murmured. "That."

"Yes. That." His voice was dark. "Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

I flinched. "Well, Spencer said something about that."

"What did Spencer say?" he asked flatly.

"He said you didn't hunt... people. He said your family wasn't supposed to be dangerous because you only hunted animals."

"He said we weren't dangerous?" he clarified, clearly sceptical.

"Well, I guess he didn't. He said you weren't _supposed_ to be dangerous. But the Quileutes still don't want you on their land, just in case."

He turned to look ahead of us, but I couldn't tell if that meant he was actually watching the road or not.

"So was he right? About not hunting people?" I prodded, while still attemptoing to keep my voice even.

"The Quileutes have a long memory," he whispered at last.

I took that as confirmation.

"Don't let that make you complacent, though," he warned me. "They're right to keep their distance from us. We're still dangerous."

"I don't understand."

"We try very hard," he explained slowly. "We're usually very good at what we do. Sometimes we make mistakes. Me, for example, allowing myself to be alone with you."

"This is a mistake?" I couldn't help how upset I sounded, but I hoped that it wasn't noticeable enough that he'd catch it.

"A very dangerous one," he replied.

Neither of us had anything to say then. I watched the bluish glow of the headlights twist with the curves of the road. Nothing felt real; the lights moved too fast to seem possible. It was like something staight out of a videogame. Time seemed to slip by way too fast, just like the pavgement underneath the tires. I was so distressed that after tonight he wouldn't want anything to do with me – that this would be my last chance to learn anything about this mysterious boy, and my last chance to spend any time with him. I couldn't waste one minute of the time we had together.

I couldn't believe that just a couple days before I was living a life where everything had been simple and normal. And that was what I'd always wanted before I got to Forks. But now that I was here, I was realizing that nothing was simple anymore. I'd drawn more attention (good and bad) than I ever had before, and suddenly I was drawn into a world where mythical creatures – _Vampires! _– actually existed. I think I was in a little over my head.

"Tell me more," I said desperately, not caring what he said, so long as he did say something.

He looked at me quickly, startled by the change in my tone. "What more do you want to know?"

"Tell me why you hunt animals instead of people," I suggested, my voice still tinged with desperation. I realized that my eyes were watering, and I fought against the grief that was trying to overcome me.

"I don't _want_ to be a monster." His voice was very low.

"But they aren't enough?" I guessed.

He paused, considering the best way to phrase the answer, I figured. "I don't know, of course, but I'd compare it to living on tofu and soy milk; we call ourselves vegetarians, our little inside joke. It will never completely satiate the hunger, the thirst. But it does keep us strong enough to resist. Most of the time." His tone returned to ominous. "Soemtimes it's harder than others."

"Is it very difficult for you now?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

"But you're not hungry now," I informed him, confidently – stating, not asking.

"Why would you say that?"

"Your eyes. I told you I had a theory. I've noticed that people – usually men – are snappier when they're hungry. Especially you."

He chuckled. "You're very observant, aren't you?"

I didn't answer that.

"Were you hunting this weekend, with Bakura?" I asked when he was quiet again.

"Yes." He paused for a second, as if deciding whether or not to go on. "I didn't want to, but I had to go. It's easier to be around you when I'm not thirsty."

"Why didn't you want to leave?"

"It makes me... anxious... to be away from you." His eyes were gentle, but intense, and my bones felt like they would melt into goo any second. "I wasn't joking when I asked you to try not to fall into the ocean or get run over last Thursday. I was distracted all weekend, worrying about you. And then after what happened tonight, I see I had valid reason to be worried. I'm surprised that you made it through a whole weekend unscathed." He shook his head, and then seemed to remember something. "Well, not totally unscathed."

"What?"

"Your hands," he reminded me. I looked down at my hands, flipping them palm-up, to check out the almost-healed scrapes across the heels of my hands. He didn't seem to miss anything.

"That's what I thought." He smirked. "I suppose, being you, that's a pretty decent turn-out. It could have been much worse – and that possibility haunted me the entire time I was away. It was a very long three days. I really got on Bakura's nerves," he chuckled reufully at me.

"Three days? Didn't you just get back today?"

"No, we got back Sunday."

"Then why didn't any of you show up at school?" I was frustrated, almost angry as I thought about the amount of disappointment I had suffered through because of his absence.

"Well it was sunny. You asked if the sun could hurt me, and it doesn't. But I still can't go out in it – at least, not when anyone can see."

"Why?"

"I'll show you soemtime," he promised.

I pondered that.

"You could have called me," I finally muttered.

He was puzzled. "But I knew you were safe."

"But _I _didn't know _you_ were safe. I – " I paused, dropping my head.

"What?" His velvety voice was compelling me.

"I didn't like it. Not seeing you. It makes me just as anxious," I admitted, blushing. I was embarrassed to be saying this out loud.

He was quiet. I glanced up at him, and saw that his expression was pained.

"Ah," he groaned quietly. "This isn't the way it should be."

I didn't understand his response. "What did I say wrong now?"

"Don't you see, Yugi? It's one thing for my to make myself so miserable, but a wholly other thing for you to feel the same, be so involved." He turned his anguished eyes to the road, talking almost too fast for me to hear what he was saying. "I don't want to hear that you feel that way – you _shouldn't_ feel that way." His voice was low, but urgent. Those words cut me, because he had no right to be telling me what I _should_ and _shouldn't _be feeling. That was up to me. But he continued on before I could say anything. "It's wrong. It's not safe. I'm dangerous, Yugi – please, you have to understand that."

"No." I had to try very hard not to look like a sulky child.

"I'm serious," he growled.

"So am I. I told you, it doesn't matter what you are. It's too late anyway."

His voice was harsh, low, and whistled through the silence like a whip. "Never say that."

I bit my lip and was glad he didn't know how much he was hurting me. I might have some magnet attraction to him, but that didn't mean that I'd let him trample on how I felt, and what I thought. I stared out the window. We must be close to Forks now. He was driving really fast.

"What you thinking?" he asked, voice still raw, but much softer than it had been a minute ago. I could feel his eyes on my face, but I refused to look at him. I just shook my head, not sure if I could even speak.

"Are you crying?" He sounded appalled. I hadn't realized the tears in my eyes had brimmed over. I swiped the back of one hand across my cheek, and sure enough, there was a trail of wet soaking into my skin, betraying me.

"No!" I replied, but my voice broke.

I saw him reach toward me with his right hand hesitantly, but when he was close enough to unfold his long fingers and touch my face, he stopped and placed it back on the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry," the tone burned with regret. I knew he wasn't just apologizing for those words that had sliced through me.

The darkness slunk by us in silence.

"Please, tell me something," he murmured after a another minute, and I could hear him to ligten his tone.

"What?"

"What were you thinking tonight, just before I came around the corner? I couldn't understand your expression – you didn't look that scared. You looked like you were concentrating very hard on something."

"I was trying to remember the self-defense classes I'd taken in Phoenix. I was going to smash his nose into his brain." I thought of the dark-haired man with a surge of hate.

"You would have fought them?" This upset him. "Didn't you think to run?"

"I fall down a lot when I run, plus they had longer legs," I admitted. "They would have caught me."

"What about screaming for help?"

"I would have gotten to that part."

He shook his head. "You were right – I'm definitely fighting fate, trying to keep you alive."

It should have been a joke, but it only helped to upset me just a little more. I sighed. We were slowing down now, passing into the boundaries of Forks. It hadn't taken us more than twenty minutes.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes – I have a paper due, too." He smiled. "I'll save you a seat at lunch."

It was silly, after everything that we'd been through tonight, how that little promise seemed to make me feel better, sending flutters through my stomach. It left me unable to respond.

We were in front of Mokuba's house. The lights were on and my truck was in its place, everything completely normal. It was like waking up from a dream. He stopped the car, but I didn't move.

"Do you _promise_ to be there tomorrow?"

"I promise."

I considered it, then nodded. I pulled his jacket off, taking one last small whiff.

"You can keep it – you don't have a jacket for tomorrow," he reminded me.

I dropped it into his lap anyway. "I don't really want to have to explain to Mokuba."

"Oh, right," he grinnned.

I hesistated, my hand on the door handle.

"Yugi? He asked in a different tone – serious, but unsure.

"Yes?" I turned back to him quickly.

"Will you promise me something?"

"Yes," I said immediately, regretting that I had trouble saying no to anything, let alone this gorgeous guy that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with. What if he asked me to stay away from? There was no way that I could keep that promise.

"Don't go into the woods alone."

That wasn't something I was expecting. I stared at him in blank confusion. "Why?"

He frowned, and his eyes were tight as he stared past me out the window.

"I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there. Let's leave it at that."

I shuddered slightly at the warning in his voice, but I was relieved. This was, at least I thought, an easy promise to honour. "Sure, whatever you say."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he sighed, and I knew that he didn't want to to stick around anymore.

"Tomorrow, then." I opened the soor slowly and climbed out.

"Yugi?" I turned and he was leaning towards me, his pale, glorious face just inches from mine. My heart pounded against my chest.

"Sleep well," he said. His breath slid over my cheek, stunning me. It was the same amazing scent that clung to his jacket, but in a more concentrated form. I blinked, more than a little dazed. He leaned away.

I couldn't move until my brain had slowly untwisted the knots that were stopping all rational thought. I had to lean against the doorframe of the car for support. I thought he chuckled at me, but it was too quiet for me to determine whether or not I'd just imagined it.

He waited until I dragged my feet to the front door, and then I heard the Volvo's engine rev. I turned to watch it disappear around the corner. I realized I was very cold.

I reached for the key mechanically, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

Mokuba called from the living room. "Yugi?"

"Yeah, Mokuba, it's me." I walked in to see him. He was watching a baseball game, as usual.

"You're home early."

"Am I?" I was surprised.

"It's not even eight yet," he told me. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was lots of fun." My head was spinning as I tried to remember all the way back to when I'd been standing in the department store with the girls. It was hard. "They both got what they were looking for."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm just tired. We did a lot of walking."

"Well, maybe you should go lay down," he suggested, concerned. I wondered what the expression on my face looked like.

"I'll just call Rebecca first."

"Weren't you just with her?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah – but I left my jacket in her car. I want to make sure she doesn't forget it tomorrow."

"Well, give her a chance to get home first."

"Right," I agreed.

I went to the kitchen and sank down into one of the chairs. I was pretty dizzy right now, so I folded my arms down on the table and laid my head on them. I wondered if I was going into shock after all. _Get a grip_, I told myself.

The phone rand suddenly, and I jumped, startled. I yanked it off the hook.

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

"Yugi?"

"Hey, Becca, I was just going to call you."

"You got home alright?" her voice was relieved... and surprised.

"Yes. I left my jacket in your car – would it be a problem to bring it tomorrow?"

"Sure. But you have to tell me what happened!" she ordered.

"Um, tomorrow. In Trig, alright?"

She caught on quickly. "Oh, is your uncle around?"

"Yeah, you got it."

"Okay, I'll just see you tomorrow then. Bye!" I could hear the impatience in her voice. I had a feeling that tomorrow would be a long day.

"Bye, Becca."

I walked up the stairs slowly, a lot on my mind. I went through the necessary notions of getting ready for bed without really paying too much attention to what I was doing. It wasn't until I was in the shower – with the water too hot, burning my skin – that I realized I was still frozen. I shuddered violently for several moments before the steaming spray finally helped me relax my sore muscles. Then I leaned against the shower wall, too tired to move, until ice water began pelting the top of my head.

I stumbled out, drying off quickly with the towel, trying to hold int the head from the shower so the aching shivers didn't return. I pulled on an old t-shirt and a pair of pyjama pants before swiftly climbing under my quilt, curling into a ball, hugging my arms to keep warm. A few small shivers still trembled through me.

My mind still swirled dizzily, darting from one image to the next, even though I couldn't understand any of them, and I fought to repress those pictures. As I sunk deeper into sleep, I started to make sense of only a few things battering around in my head. Only three really stood out.

The first, Atem was undeniably a vampire. Secondly, there was a part of him – even if it was only a small part (but I wasn't sure how potent that part may be) – that was hungry for my blood. And finally, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

**A/N: I really am trying to make Yugi a little less flexible when it comes to Atem than Bell was with Edward. I want him to have more of a backbone, and stand up for what he wants, instead of following Atem blindly. I want him to be able to make his own choices. No offence, Bella was a good character, but I feel that there were times where she didn't quite think things through as well as she should have, so I want to work with that character flaw a bit. At this point, with that I'm feeling, I don't even think I'll do a re-write of Breaking Dawn - I was severely disappointed with it, actually, and I'm considering making some huge changes to how the Twilight Saga ended. However, I'm still not sure, and I feel like it would disappoint a lot of people, but I'm actually leaning quiet heavily towards writing my own ending just about the end of Eclipse. But let me know what you guys think, please!  
**


	11. Interrogations

**T**he next morning I slept half an hour later than I usually do. I guess I hadn't realized how wiped out near-death experiences made me. When I'd finally collapsed onto my bed last night, awareness of the situation I'd gotten myself into really sunk in. I thought that maybe everything had been a dream; I was still in Arizona, Atem was just a figment of my imagination, and that I was definitely not _in love_ with a _vampire_.

But there was no way that it was a dream, when I remembered how cold he had been last night, and how amazing he smelled.

I was back to the position I had been in before I confronted Atem about my theories. I had no idea what to do. Vampires weren't supposed to be real, and now here I was, with solid confirmation that my boyfriend (was that was he was?) wasn't human. He'd said he was dangerous, and previously I'd just written it off in favour of getting my questions answered, but now I had to put some serious thought into this. I had no idea what he was capable of other than that mind reading thing he did, and moving very quickly, so the next little while would make or break this relationship. I couldn't afford to invest myself so fully into something in which I was blind. Especially if he was as lethal as he said he was (and really, I had no doubt that he could easily hurt me, even if it was accidental).

It was rainy again today, so Atem didn't have a reason to skip out on school. With this in mind, I dressed hurriedly and made my way downstairs for a quick bowl of cereal. There wasn't much milk left, so I added that to the grocery note, before sitting down and mashing my spoon into the granola pieces in my bowl, trying to soak them with all the milk I could manage to get out of the carton. Even this didn't take very long, so I went to grab my coat and leave for school, before I remembered that I didn't have my jacket. I huddled deeper in my sweater, grabbed my backpack, and stepped outside.

I made for my truck, but stopped dead when I noticed the silver car sitting at the end of my driveway. I jogged over to the driver's window, which was rolled down.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" He asked, amused by the surprised expression stuck on my face. And for the first time since I'd met him, he actually gave me a choice to determine whether or not I wanted to go with him. I could hear the uncertainty in his voice – he must've realized that I'd had enough time to put some serious thought into what he'd said last night and was worried I'd refuse to go anywhere near him – that told me I was free to refuse the offer.

I smiled. "Yeah, that would awesome."

Atem's face relaxed into a small smile and leaned over to open the passenger's door. I walked around to the other side and climbed in, noticing the leather jacket hanging over the headrest of the passenger seat. He saw me looking at it and said, "I remembered that you didn't have your jacket, so I thought maybe you'd want to wear to mine today. I didn't want you to get sick."

"Oh, I couldn't. We'll be at school soon anyway, and Becca will give me mine. And I won't get sick," I informed him, then thought to add, "I'm not fragile, you know". But then I thought about it, and I wondered if the jacket smelled as amazing in the daylight as it did last night, so I pushed one of my arms through it and yanked it around my shoulders before shoving my other arm inside. The jacket was as wonderful as I remembered.

He watched me the whole time, his smile growing. It made me happy to know he was glad I'd decided to wear it, but I think it was more what the coat represented, than me actually wearing the coat itself. Like I'd made my choice, that he was what I wanted, and I was going to sink as far into him as I could. And maybe I had made my choice; only time would tell. If something happened to show me that he didn't belong in my life, well, I'd worry about it if it ever came up, but for now, I was perfectly happy accepting everything he wanted to give me.

He started the car and reversed out of the driveway, and I took a moment to look him over. He was wearing a red muscle shirt with a black leather jacket (how many of those did he own?). There was a leather collar clinging to his throat, and his black leather pants also clung to his sculpted legs in all the right places. He looked exquisite, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done just to focus on his face. Which really didn't look any less amazing, let me say.

"But you are, aren't you?" he murmured, contradicting what I'd just said.

He drove way too fast through the mist clogged street, and silence reigned in the vehicle for a bit. I jiggled my knee, unsure if I was supposed to say something or just sit around and wait for him to start talking. I had no idea if he was going to be as open and friendly as he had been in the dark. Atem always me feel this way; so unsure of myself. In the end, he made the decision for me.

"What, no twenty questions today?" He turned to smirk at me.

I bit my lip. "Do they bother you?"

"What – no. Not as much as your reactions to my answers do," he tried to joke, but it came off as flat to me. I could tell he really meant it.

"I react badly?"

"No, that's the problem. You take everything I say so easily. I can't figure out what you're thinking."

I considered this. I didn't want him to know that I wasn't 'taking everything so easily' like he thought I was. Maybe to his face I did, but when I was alone, doubts and worries ate at me. The only thing I could think about was: am I making the right decision? I didn't want to raise a red flag in his eyes until I had made a concrete decision. As much as I was attracted to him, more than I'd ever been attracted to anyone, I admitted to myself, those warnings he'd given me were something I couldn't overlook. I had to find out for myself if we could work, and that was something I'd only find out with more experience.

"You leave things out," he continued, accusingly.

"Not often," I responded absently.

He wrinkled his eyebrow at that. "Enough to drive me crazy."

"You wouldn't want to know," I whispered, not wanting to talk about this anymore. I felt guilty about everything, like I was using him, playing with his feelings trying to find out whether he was something I could want. But mostly I felt pain about it. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want him to know that after all my promises that he couldn't scare me away, that maybe he would do just that. Maybe he was just too much for me to handle.

His face slid back into unreadable. He didn't respond, and I worried that I was transparent; he knew what was on my mind. Realistically, he'd assured me that he couldn't tell what I was thinking, so I calmed in my seat. We pulled into school, and I glanced around.

"Hey, where's your family?" I was glad to be alone with him, but I was surpised. Normally the Maximillian family travelled together.

"They came in Seto's vehicle this morning." He pointed across the lot to a huge black Land Rover. "It's a little over the top," he grinned.

I stared in disbelief. "If he has that, why does everyone ride with you?"

"We actually want to blend in here, you know. And my brothers' vehicles do anything but that," he answered. "Seto has the Land Rover, Yusei prefers his motorcycles, and Bakura and Marik do love their sports cars."

"No way! You guys don't manage to fit in very well," I informed him, laughing. Looking at the dashboard I noticed we weren't late anymore; his crazy driving had more than made up for any time I spent wallowing around this morning. "So why did Seto drive today if it's a little extravagant?"

He parked the car and turned his body to face me. He replied so softly I had to strain to hear him. "I'm already breaking all the rules by spending my time with you."

He was out of the car before I even had the chance to process this. He opened my door and waited for me to get out, nodding his head at Yusei who waved across the lot. We walked closely together into the school. He was so close that I only had to extend a finger to touch him, but I held back. I was afraid he'd jerk away like every other time I'd tried to touch him in the past.

"But if you're trying to fit in, why do you even have cars like that at all?" I wondered, still amazed by the whole thing.

He grinned. "Indulgence. We all like to drive fast."

That figured. Every one of them – even though I hadn't met them yet – seemed like the type.

Rebecca was standing just inside the main doors with my jacket folded over her arm. I smiled and waved at her. She smiled shakily back at me.

"Hey, Becca. Thanks," I said, as she handed my coat over.

Atem greeted her politely, and of course he was irresistable, because her face melted into something more relaxed.

"... Hey..." she murmured, wide-eyed. I could tell she was pretty confused, still. Then she turned to me and her eyes held a clear warning. There was no way that I could get out of telling her the details of exactly what had happened last night. I supressed a sigh. "See you in class," she told me, before turning to walk away. What was I supposed to tell her?

"Yeah, see you then."

Then she left, looking over he shoulder the whole time.

"What will you say to her?" Atem questioned.

"I thought you could read my mind," I accused. He just seemed pleased that he'd guessed what I was thinking, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't much of a guess at all, considering how obvious it was.

"I can't," he replied. A devious look settled in his eyes, and I knew he had come up with an idea. "But I _can_ read hers," he said.

I groaned. I slid my arms out of his jacket and handed it over.

"What will you say?" he repeated.

"Well," we got to my locker to grab what I needed. After I had everything, I turned to look at him. "What does she want to know?"

He grinned wickedly. "That's cheating, Yugi," he admonished.

"You refusing to tell me what you know is unfair," I intoned.

He considered that for a moment. Then he loped down the hallway to my class and waited for me there.

"She wants to know if you lied to her about having a boyfriend. Are we secretly dating? She wants to know how you feel about me," he whispered, close to my ear.

"That's tough," I admitted. He frowned at that, clearly not understanding what was tough about it. I didn't explain.

"But what should I tell her?" I asked innocently. People were staring as they passed, confused by what was going on. I knew what they were thinking: why was this God on Earth with me? I didn't pay too much attention to them.

He stepped closer. This was the closest I'd ever been to him, I realized slowly. He reached out and brushed a dirt smudge off my shoulder, and I could feel the coldness of his fingers even through the fabric of my shirt. "You could probably tell her that yes you have a boyfriend, and that no, we aren't a secret," he murmured, sweeping a knuckle across the bottom of my jaw before pulling his hand back.

I smiled widely, happier than I'd ever been. "I don't mind that," I answered breathlessly.

"And to that final question, well, I'd like to know just as much as she does, so I suppose I'll be waiting to hear the answer." He gave me that favourite crooked smile, and I had a hard time catching my breath. My heart was pounding. And that was how he left me; standing dazed outside my classroom.

"I'll save you a seat at lunch," he called over his shoulder.

I smiled again, getting a hold of myself, and almost skipped into class. Even the fact that Joey was leaning his hip against my usual seat couldn't bring down my good mood.

"Good morning, Yugi," he said, sitting down in the seat to the left of me. He took in the content look on my face and the reclined angle of my shoulders, more relaxed than they'd been in a long time, and an odd, resigned look took over his features. It was obvious he'd been talking about our trip to Port Angeles, and I knew he'd had the perfect position to watch Atem take away my single status. I sighed internally. I thought we were past all of this? He changed the subject.

"Did Becca say anything about Sunday night?"

I nodded, "She had a great time," I assured him.

He was more eager now. "She did?"

"She definitely did."

The teacher called for attention. He asked for the assignments that were due, but then assigned a free study period for the rest of the class. English and Government passed far too quickly – I don't even remember what they covered. After a couple of hours, my excitement got pushed to the background while worry took over my attention. I was worried about what I would say to Rebecca. I was agonized over whether or not Atem would really listen. I wasn't sure how much I was free to say, because while I really liked him, I was still nervous. I was scared out of my mind and I hoped he wouldn't find out. The mind reading thing was only nice when he was using it to save my life – which I hoped he didn't have to do very often - I was glad he couldn't read me.

But he was right, as usual. Rebecca had parked herself in the seat next to my desk in Trig, leaning closer to my seat like a vulture. Waiting for me. I dropped my shoulders resignedly and wandered over. When I got to my there, I dropped down and got my stuff ready. Then I waited for the inquisition. It's like pulling off a band-aid; the faster you got it over with the better.

"I want to know everything!" she demanded.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"What happened after Tea and I left you with him last night?"

"He bought me dinner and then he took me home," I shrugged.

She glared. Obviously I'd 'edited' too much for her. "How did you get home so fast?"

"He drives like he's on the run from the police," I laughed, thinking about Mokuba. "It was totally horrifying." I hoped that it got back to Atem. Maybe he'd slow down for next time.

"Was it like a date? I thought you told me there was nothing going on with you two! Did you guys arrange to meet each other there?"

I hadn't thought of it like that. "No, we didn't arrange it. It just kind of happened. I was surprised to see him there."

She was disappointed. She could tell I was being honest, and despite how jealous she was, I could tell that she wanted something juicy to have happened just as much as I did. I also knew that if she was the one telling this story the details would have been embellished. Just a little.

"Oh, come on! One of us has to have some fun! But he brought you to school today?" The question was probing.

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting that either. He noticed that I'd left my jacket with you last night," I explained.

"Are you going out with him again?"

I smiled. "He offered to take me to Seattle on Saturday because he doesn't think my truck could make it – does that count?"

"Yes!" She answered quickly.

"Well then, yes, I guess." I murmured, shifting back in my seat.

She looked stunned. Just like everyone else, she couldn't believe that he'd chosen me. I couldn't either, actually.

"W-h-o-a. Atem Maximillian," she drug out slowly.

"I know," I agreed. Whoa didn't even cover it.

Something occurred to her. "Wait a miunute, has he kissed you yet?" She asked with wide-eyes.

"No!" I denied. "It isn't like that," I frowned.

"Do you think he might on Saturday?" She asked, leaning closer.

"I don't think it will happen," I admitted honestly. The hurt in my voice was poorly hidden.

She frowned, but understood that I didn't want to talk about it.

"What did you talk about?" She questioned instead, quietly. Class had already started, but the people around us weren't paying attention to what we were talking about, and we weren't the only ones talking. The girls in the back corner were giggling loudly, and every few minutes the teacher had to stop the lesson to reprimand them.

"I don't know, Becca. We talked about a lot of stuff." I shrugged. "We talked about the English essay for a while." Very, very little. Actually, I think Atem had mentioned it in passing.

"Please, please, Yugi, give me some details!" she begged.

I bit my lip and leaned towards her. Just one couldn't hurt. "This morning, before History, Atem walked me to class. He didn't let me out of his sight all morning. And right before class, he asked me to be his boyfriend," I admitted quietly. "He was standing so close, just touching my face. And I think he wanted to kiss me – the look on his face sure said he did but Joey was watching. And I think he's trying to wait for the right time," I whispered.

She squealed loudly and slapped her hands over her mouth. The teacher glared at her disapprovingly. I chuckled.

"That's awesome!" She smiled.

"Oh yeah," I agreed. "It _was_ awesome."

"But it's always so hard to tell what he's thinking or feeling," I said. "He's so vague," I added for his benefit, sighing.

"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him," she breathed.

I frowned. "What? Why?" I was shocked. She didn't understand why I reacted the way I did, but I was nervous she knew that something was up with him, even though there was no way she could really _know_ anything.

She was definintely startled by my reaction, so she back-pedaled. "Not that there's anything wrong with him, but he's just so intimidating. I'd be a stuttering mess, and even when I wasn't, I'd have no idea what to say to him." She stared out in space, probably remembering that one glance he'd given her this morning that completely disarmed her. It really had turned her into mush.

"I do have trouble talking to him somtimes," I admitted.

"It does make sense." She nodded. "He _is_ impossibly gorgeous." She informed me. It sounded like she was saying that because he was so attractive that he didn't have any flaws. I knew better. For one, my boyfriend was not alive. Secondly, when he got hungry, he made a trip to visit the forest animals – not the sink or the fridge like everyone else. But, I had to admit, maybe him being drop-dead sexy was enough to excuse his flaws for anyone else. Especially since he didn't go around broadcasting those flaws. To anyone else, he was just a tad bit intimidating. But for me, beauty wasn't an excuse for anything. The personality had to match, and right now, Atem's did. Sure he was a little reserved, ambiguous with his answers, but he wasn't a bad person.

"He's not just gorgeous on the outside," I defended.

"Really? Like how?"

I wondered why I had this horrible inability to keep my mouth shut. I wished that I hadn't said anything, maybe more than I wished he hadn't gotten bored in class and decided to listen in.

"I can't explain it right... but he's got an even more unbelievable personality." Even with the loss of humanity, even though he had to survive on blood, he was good. He wanted to be that way – he didn't run around hurting people, he saved lives. We knew that he could easily kill me, that he could go back to the easy flow that was his life before I'd interrupted. But he chose to take the hard route – he (and his no less than spectacular family) chose to live alongside us weak humans. This was part of the reason I wanted to learn more about him.

I turned to stare at the blackboard.

"Is it _possible_ for him to be even more perfect than he is on the outside?" She giggled, shallowly.

I ignored her, trying to look like I was paying attention to the lecture.

"So you do like him, then?" Gosh, she really didn't give up, did she?

"Yeah," I replied easily.

"I mean, do you _really_ like him?" She pushed.

"I'm dating him, aren't I?" I replied, blushing. I hoped she wouldn't notice it.

"How _much_ do you like him?" She urged.

"Too much," I whispered back. "More than he likes me. But that's not something I can really change." I sighed, frowning again.

It was at that moment, thankfully, that Rebecca had to give an answer to one of the questions on the board. After that, there wasn't another chance to start in on the subject again during class, because the bell rang and I took immediate evasise maneuvers.

"Joey asked me if you said anything about your date on Monday," I told her.

"You're kidding! What did you tell him?" She gasped, completely forgetting about what we'd just been talking about.

"I told him that you had a really good time – he was happy with that."

"You have to tell me exactly what you told him, and exactly how he responded!" She ordered, gripping onto my arm and dragging me down the hall to our next class. We spent the the next hour discussing what Joey's expressions meant and dissecting his comments word for word to discover if there was a hidden second meaning. I wasn't interested in exactly how Joey's eyes lit up when he was pleased, but it helped keep Becca clear of talking about me and my relationship.

The bell rang for lunch. I bounded out of my seat and chucked my books in my bag. The grin on my face must have tipped Rebecca off.

"Ditching us for loverboy today, are you?" she guessed.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "He said he'd be waiting, but I never know anything with him."

But he was leaning just outside the door to Spanish, looking like an Egyptian God come to life. Rebecca seemed a little flustered, but took one look at us, rolled her eyes, and trodded off.

"Talk to you later, Yugi," she smiled deviously over her shoulder. I knew that she'd call all night until she got some details.

"Hey." His voice was both amused and irritated at the same time. I sighed. It was obvious he _had_ listened to Rebecca and I talk. I wondered what I had said wrong this time.

"Hi," I replied shyly.

I couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't try to make any conversation – waiting for the right time to drop the bomb, I figured – so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. Walking so close to Atem through the crowded lunchroom was like reliving my first day of school; everyone was staring at us.

He led the way into the lunchline, still not saying a word, though his fingers kept brushing the back of my hand and he glanced at me every few seconds, looking pensive. As the minutes passed, I could tell that the irritation he was feeling was overwhelming the amusement. His face was clouded with it, and I worried. We'd only been together for a few hours and he was already upset with me. Would this be the tone of our relationship in the future? I fiddled with my jacket zipper anxiously.

He grabbed one tray from the stack and began plucking apples and various other foods from the line.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "I can't eat all that!"

He shook his head, but didn't reach for anything else. He turned to smirk at me. "Half is for me, of course."

I raised an eyebrow.

He placed a hand on my back and led me to the same table we'd sat the day of the blood typing in Biology. A group of senior girls glared at me as we sat down across from each other. Atem was, as usual, oblivious to all this.

"Eat whatever you want," he encouraged, pushign the tray toward me. "I did get it for you."

I snatched up a chocolate chip cookie, nibbling my way around the edges. "So, what would you do if I dared you to eat something on this tray?"

He grimaced, but chuckled at me. "You're always curious, aren't you?" He stared at me evenly, all the while purposefully grasping an apple and raising it to his mouth. He didn't drop my gaze as he bit off a chunk, chewed quickly, and swallowed. I just gawked, wide-eyed.

"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?" He asked condescendingly.

I wrinkled my nose. "I've done it," I declared. "On a dare. It wasn't as bad as you would think."

He laughed. "That doesn't really surprise me." But he broke his gaze from mine to focus on something over my shoulder.

"Rebecca's breaking down every move I make – she'll harrass you about it later," he warned. He pushed the rest of the apple towards me. The hint of Rebecca brought that annoyance back to the surface of his face.

I took a huge bite of the apple, wiped my hands, and sat back to wait for him to start in at me.

"So, Joey was watching, was he?" he asked casually.

"You didn't notice?" I snorted.

"No. I wasn't paying attention to him. I had... better things to focus on," he grinned wickedly.

"Poor Joey," I replied. "I think he has a crush on you," I joked, laughing at the freaked out expression that slid across Atem's face. "I mean, you are pretty amazing," I added, watching that beautiful face level out into a smile once he realized that it was, indeed, a joke.

But then he got serious again. "Something you and Rebecca were talking about... it, uh... well, it bothers me," he admitted. I knew that he wouldn't let it go until we talked about, because his voice was deep and he glanced at me carefully under his lashes, his eyes worried.

"Obviously you heard something you didn't like. Eavesdroppers get what they ask for," I reprimanded.

"But I warned you that I would be listening."

"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything that I was thinking." I scowled.

"You did," he agreed, but his voice was raw. "But you're wrong. I do want to know everything you think about. I want to know you inside and out. Learn everything about you. I just wish... you wouldn't think about certain things."

"Quite bossy today, aren't you?" I muttered petulantly.

"It's not the point," he responded, reaching for my hand.

I pulled it back, and his eyes plummetted to stare at his empty extended hand in shock. I was sure he'd never been rejected before, and it made me pleased that I had at least some control over the situation. "Then what is?" I demanded. I reminded myself that we were in the crowded cafeteria, and that we'd only been dating for just over three hours. We couldn't start a fight here and now.

He sat back and ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair. "Are we really doing this now?" he muttered. But then he shook his head and went on. "Do you really believe that I don't feel as strongly for you as you do for me?" he murmured, leaning closer, his crimson eyes piercing.

I blew out a deep breath, relaxing. If that's all this was about, it was something we could talk through. It wasn't about him trying to take control over what I did or thought, he was just feeling insecure. It was surprising that such a confident guy was so worried about what I was feeling. At the same time, I was frustrated he was doubting this relationship so quickly. Even if he didn't like me as much as I liked him, I wasn't about to just leave him or antyhing.

"You're doing it again," I informed him.

His eyes opened wide in surprise. "What?"

"Dazzling me.," I admitted.

"Oh, sorry." He frowned.

"It's not something you can help; it's fine."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

I looked away, picking at piece of perpperoni from the piece of pizza he'd gotten for me. "Yes."

"Yes, you'll answer, or yes, you think I don't care as much as you do?" He was annoyed again.

"Yes to both," I replied, lifting my eyes to look at him. I made sure to keep an indifferent look on my face – I wouldn't let him intimidate me into letting him have his way. The silence swept over us, and I refused to break it this time.

It took him a while, but when he spoke, his voice was airy and soft. "You're not right."

His eyes were gentle, and I let my face settle into a softer expression.

"You can't know that. You don't know how I feel," I said. I wanted to believe him, and I wanted to believe myself. I wanted to believe in us, but I was still doubtful, and it didn't help us get very far if he was too. It was something we had to work at, but all great relationships needed some work at one point - things aren't always perfect. It wasn't that I didn't feel strongly for him, I just had other things I needed to consider. I believed we could work if we tried.

He jerked back as if I'd slapped him. After a while he sighed, and there was undisguised pain written on his face. "I know that. But why do you think that way? That I don't want you as much as you want to be with me? I'm fighting hard to keep you," he blurted. His face was soft and vulnerable, but his eyes were still piercing – still demanding. He wanted the truth, and I had to give it to him. Everything would be over if I lied now.

I stared back at him, trying to come up with the best way to verbalize what I was thinking at that moment. I could see him getting impatient, frustrated by my silence. He'd never say it, of course, but he did scowl at me. I lifted one hand from the end of the table and placed a finger against his lips.

"Let me think," I insisted. He sank back down into his chair, less frustrated now that he knew I wasn't going to leave him without an answer. I dropped both hands into my lap and began twisitng my fingers together.

"Some's obvious, I think..." I paused. "I can never be sure – I can't read minds and you're so guarded – but sometimes it feels like you're saying you don't want me to stay when you're really saying something else." It was the only way I could think to describe the weird feeling I got when his words didn't match the conversation or situation.

"You see things I wish you wouldn't," he murmured. Agony settled deep in my gut. He'd just confirmed my worst fear. "But it's why you're wrong, though." He started to explain what he meant, but he got caught up on soemthing else I'd said. "Wait, what do you mean, 'obvious'?"

I sighed. "Look at me," I demanded, even though he was already watching me. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "There's nothing exciting about me – I'm not very attractive, I'm pretty ordinary – well, except for the near-death experiences, and I'm way too clumsy. And then there's you," my voice softened. I was too afraid to look at him, so I focused on my hands in my lap.

His eyes narrowed in anger, but he wiped a hand over his face and the hard expression was gone. "You don't see yourself like everyone else sees you. I'll admit that you're correct about everything bad you said," he chuckled darkly, "but obviously you've overlooked Joey, myself, and that boy with whom you flirted with at the beach. Surely the three of us can't be blind, or unclear as to what beauty is," he answered pointedly. "Also, you don't hear what everyone thinks about you."

I blinked, amazed. "There's no way," I responded.

"Trust me – you are the exact opposite of ordinary."

I was more embarrassed than pleased at the look that flickered into his eyes when he said it. I had to concentrate to remind myself of my original argument.

"But we aren't saying goodbye," I informed him.

"Don't you get it yet? That's what makes me right. I care the most about you because if – " he hesitated here, seeming to struggle with how his train of thought was making itself known. "If I have to leave you to keep you safe, then I'll hurt myself to make sure you're fine, to keep you safe."

I glared. "And you don't think I'd do the same thing?"

His face hardened. "You would never have to make the choice – you can't protect me like I could do for you."

I knew he was right, and it hurt, because I would do anything to make sure he didn't get hurt, but I didn't have a degree of the power he did. He would always be the protector. I'd always be the fragile little human.

But then his mood shifted abruptly. That mischievous, devastating smile of his stole across his face. "Of course, keeping you safe if pretty much a full-time job. It requires me to always be around."

I laughed despite myself. "No one has tried to kill me today," I responded, glad to have the heavy mood disappear. I didn't want to talk about goodbyes and doubts anymmore. There wasn't a doubt that I'd put myself in danger for him, to keep him close to me, but there really wasn't much else I could do to help if push came to shove... I discarded the thought before I left it show on my face. I knew he'd figure out what I had decided, and I couldn't let him find out. It would definitely get me in trouble.

"Yet," he added.

I nodded. "Yet," I agreed. I would have argued wtih him, but I knew better. And it was much mroe fun when he was expecting me to run into danger around every corner. At least it kept him with me.

"I have another question for you." His face was casual.

"Go ahead."

"Is Seattle an absolute necessity, or did you just say that to get out of going anywhere with your admirers?"

I made a face at the memory, but grinned. "If it was, why would you be going with me?" I joked, tossing a balled up napkin at him. He laughed and caught it with one hand, dropping it onto the table in front of him.

"If I'd asked you, would you have said yes, then?"

"Probably not," I shook my head. "Well actually, I would say yes, but I'd wait until the day of the dance to fake some kind of illness or broken bone or something."

He was perplexed. "Why would you do seomthing like that?"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You haven't seen me in Gym. But still, I thought you understood, what with the near-death experiences and clumsiness."

"This is about the fact that you can't walk on flat ground?" he teased.

"Duh!" I agreed.

"It wouldn't be a problem." He said confidently. "It's all about your partner. The leader." I was about to protest, but he cut me off. "But you've avoided the question. Are you settled on Seattle, or could I convince you to do somthing a little a different?"

I pondered this, but then I decided that as long as we did it together, I didn't mind what we did.

"Alternatives are alright," I said. "But, there's one rule."

He looked wary, as he always did when I made open-ended statements like that. "Yeah?"

"I have to drive."

He tilted his head. "Why?"

"Well, I told Mokuba that I'd be going to Seattle alone, because at that point I was. If he asked again, I'd tell him the truth, but I'm sure he won't ask again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up questions I'm not ready to answer. Also, you are a horrible driver."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course my driving is what worries you," he shook his head condescendingly again, but his eyes were serious. "Is Mokuba... accepting of your preference? Won't you tell him you'll be with me?" There was an undertone in there that I couldn't distinguish.

"He knows and accepts, yeah, but that doesn't mean we have conversations about it," I answered pointedly. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"The weather is good this weekend, so I'll be staying out of the public eye. You can... join me, if you want to." This was another choice he was allowing me to make, and I was excited.

"And you'll show me what you meant about not being able to be out in the sun?" I asked, pleased by the idea of learning more about him.

"Yes." He almost flinched, but it was gone before I could be sure that I'd really seen it. "But if you don't want to, I'd still ask that you don't go to Seattle alone. It's impossible for you not to find trouble in a city that size."

I didn't know what to say. "Phoenix is way bigger than Seattle, both in population and size – "

He interrupted me. "Apparently your number wasn't up in Phoenix, but it is here. So I'd rather you stay with me." His eyes did that scorching thing again, and I was more than happy to comply.

There was no reasoning for me to argue. "As busy as I am, I don't mind being alone with you."

He sighed. "I know. I just wish you'd tell Mokuba, though."

"Why would I do that?"

His whole face was like frozen marble, hard, refusing to back down from this. "So I have a reason to bring you back."

Fear settled in my stomach and I gulped. I took a moment to think about it. I was sure. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Let's talk about something else," I suggested.

"And what would that be?" he gritted out. He was pretty annoyed, and I couldn't see why. If he wanted to me to say no, why would he give me the choice in the first place?

Suddenly he whipped his head to look over at his brothers, and exhaled. They all looked over at us, carefully analyzing Atem's expression. I knew he wasn't reacting to something one of them had thought; he was worried he'd do something stupid, and he needed reassurance that he could handle this. Seto was the only one who turned his face in my direction. The look on his face was more hate-filled than I thought was possible. I found it hard to believe that the amount of hate he was showing me didn't disfigure the beauty he held.

Suddenly he sank further down in his chair, every muscle in his body relaxing. He smiled easily at Yusei, who tipped his head to the side with a smirk. I watched Yusei turn around to engage the other boys in conversation once more.

"Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend? Mokuba said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of bears."

He slowly twisted his head to look at me. The expression on his face told me I was missing something obvious.

"No way! Bears?" I gasped. He smirked in response. "You know, it's not bear season," I chided sternly, trying to hide my shock.

"Those laws don't exactly include us," he said. "If you read carefully, they only cover hunting with weapons."

He grinned widely as the information sunk in.

"But bears?" I repeated dumbly.

"Bakura prefers the Grizzly." His voice was casual, like we were discussing the weather, but his eyes were still trained to my face, watching for a negative reaction. I blinked and tried to pull myself together.

"Huh," I murmured, chomping down on the now-cold pizza in front of me. I used it as an excuse to look away, and drew that out with a long sip of my Ice Tea.

I thought for a minute, raising my gaze to catch his. "What do you prefer?"

If he was surprised I was playing his game, the only thing that showed it was the raised eyebrow. But I did see his mouth twitch down in displeasure. "Mountain lion."

"Oh," I said, indifferenly, reaching for my soda again.

"But we have to be careful," his tone was a replica of mine, "that we don't do any damge to the environment by hunting too much. We usually focus on areas that are overpopulated – as far away as we need to go. There's always plenty of elk and deer, but they aren't half as fun to chase." He smiled teasingly.

"Mmhm," I muttered, swallowing around another moutful of pizza.

"Early Spring is the best time to hunt for bear – Bakura certainly loves it. They're just coming out of hibernating, so they're more agressive." He smiled as if he was remembering another one of those private jokes.

"I don't imagine there's anything more fun than an agressive grizzly bear," I replied, nodding.

He snickered, shaking his head. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

I hesitated. "I'm trying to picture it – but I can't," I admitted. "How can you hunt a bear without weapons?"

Slowly, deliberatly, he flashed his perfect smile at me, but it was more open-mouthed than he usually made it. His teeth flashed in the flourescence of the lights, and a shiver ripped through me before I could stop it. Before I could blink his face settled back into a less threatening pose, close-mouthed and friendly. "Our weapons aren't the kind you buy in stores. If you've ever seen a bear attack, you'd be able to visualize Bakura hunting."

He must have guessed what I was thinking, because he turned his face to look at his brother at the same time I did. Thankfully, Bakura wasn't looking our way. The broad shoulders and thick bands of muscle that wrapped around his torso were even more threatening than they had been in the past. Atem just chuckled at my reaction.

I turned back to him. "Are you like a bear, too?" I asked softly.

"More like the lion, or so it's been said," he answered lightly. "Perhaps the saying is true – 'you are what you eat'?" He teased.

I tried to smile, but it was shaky. "Maybe." But my mind was filled with random pictures that didn't make sense and didn't piece together. "Is that something I might see?"

"Absolutely not!" He hissed. His face was whiter than I'd ever seen it, and his crimson eyes bled into black, furious. I leaned away, stunned – and though I'd never say it – scared of him. My heart hammered wildly in my chest. He leaned back as well, clenching his arms across his ribs.

"Too scary for me?" I whispered, trying to hold back my automatic urge to cry. I was blown away that I could even form words.

He laughed darkly. "If that was it, I'd take you out tonight," he promised, his voice slicing through me. "It's exactly what you_ need_. A healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you." I clenched my fingers together on my lap, trying very hard not to blurt out how scary he was being.

"Then why not?" I urged, trying to look anwyehere but his angry expression.

He glared at me.

"Fine," I muttered, grabbing the tray and rising to my feet.

He watched me silently, confused as to what I was doing.

"I'm off to class. I'll walk home after school." I said, striding away towards the garbage can before he could respond. If I didn't hurry, I'd be late for class. The cafeteria was mostly empty; only the Maximillians still sat at their table, watching us tensely. Atem's gaze burned a hole through my back as I deposited the waste, leaving him behind. As much as I didn't like to hurt him, I needed straight answers. If he didn't want me to do something, that was fine. He only needed to say why.

I wondered if I made the right decision to walk away when I reached the doors to the hallway. Atem was staring in anger and disbelief. Anger because I had questions he didn't want to have, to ask, and disbelief that I brushed him off and left him sitting there. For once, I felt powerful. I wasn't weak little Yugi anymore that let people just push him around. Well, maybe I was, but when it was something important, I'd fight for it.

I wouldn't let this go.

**If Bakura/Ryou is something you like, Chrysanthemums is also doing a Twilight re-write, only with Ryou as the main character. Go check it out, it's called _The Other Twilight._**

**Okay guys, I know this is late, but I just had my wisdom teeth out a couple days ago and I've been pretty sleepy with the medication they gave me. I've been re-watching the Vampire Diaries lately, and I'm leaning more towards their style of Vampire - I really don't want to make them sparkle in the sun; I figure it's just cooler to make them appear as what they really are - dangerous. I think that's all I wanted to get out this time, so I don't own the characters or the series they come from, and see you next time!  
**


	12. Complications

**I **shoved my hands in my pocket as I sped through the hallways to my next class. So far, despite how happy I had been in the morning, the day had changed directions and was moving quickly towards being the worst day I'd had in a long time. It bothered me that even though I knew what he was, he still refused to open up about it. I knew that maybe he was still unsure he could trust me with his secret, and that was understandable, but to treat me like a child? To treat me like I didn't understand that he could be the least little bit dangerous? I did. After all, he crossed just about fifty feet of parking lot in seconds, and nobody even saw anything. I was just a little frustrated. I might be small, but I was definitely _not_ a child.

Not surprisingly, once I'd got my bag unpacked at my seat, Atem slid through the door right before the bell rang. I noticed as he sat down beside me that he didn't try to get as far away as possible; he pulled his chair pretty close. The chair was so near that his knee brushed mine every time he moved. Then I watched in disbelief as he wrapped his fingers around mine and stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. He didn't once look at me.

Was he going to pretend like the argument we'd just had hadn't actually happened? Here he was, treating me exactly like everything was perfect between us. I was all for forgiving him, but if he kept refusing to acknowledge there was a problem, we couldn't fix anything. He didn't seem to want to accept that I could make my own choices. When I did make them, he talked down to me. And then he had the nerve to hold my hand like he hadn't done anything wrong, like he was only being patient with my latest tantrum? That wasn't how it worked

I tried to pull away, but his grip was strong and he wouldn't let me. After a while I gave up, but I leaned my chin on my other hand and sighed while the teacher droned on about this movie he wanted us to watch, something about a tragic love story. Today sucked.

But the longer I sat there, just staring at the outdated television, the more I relaxed. I didn't feel the throb of anger when I thought of the last hour anymore, just disappointment in myself. I knew that I could be overemotional, and I knew that I over-reacted about things, but as his finger rubbed back and forth over my hand, I couldn't help but feeling that familiar electricity zing through me every time he touched me. I wanted to be mad still, because it was important that he didn't treat me like some silly little kid, but he was sucking the motivation right out of me. A part of me hated that I was weak enough for him to manipulate me so easily.

I sighed again, and looked over at him. I could see that this time he was watching me from the corner of his eye. He didn't look like the confident guy that had relaxed in his chair in the lunchroom; he looked like he'd been reprimanded about something, but he also looked pretty anxious. His shoulders were tense, and his other fist was clutching the table a little harder than necessary.

_Serves him right! _I thought, smugly, but I wondered why he'd feel that way. What had happened in the few minutes that I'd left him in the lunchroom with his brothers? The longer I pondered that, the more a heavy pit settled deep in my stomach. Why would Atem and his beautiful family be so concerned with a human when they could have everything they wanted at the drop of a hat? They probably laughed about manipulating me into doing whatever they wanted when they were at home. Or maybe they were just worried that even after I promised not to say anything, that I would run screaming - that the whole town would know at any moment.

Then I was even more frustrated with myself. Of course they weren't concerned with the things I did. Of course they didn't go home and make fun of me. They definitely had better things to do than laugh at the stupid, overemotional transfer student.

I tried to make myself think of happier thoughts, so I sent a shaky smile at Atem. To my relief, he sent a huge grin back at me and squeezed my hand. Those eyes of his softened up, looking at ease. Nobody could blame me for feeling overwhelmed by my boyfriend's – I actually had one! - presence.

The hour passed by very slowly. Most of the movie, I just sketched in my notebook, unable to concentrate on much of anything. I didn't even follow what I was drawing, just random lines and curves and shapes that didn't look like anything I could recall. I couldn't even tell what the movie was really about. The heat traveling through his fingers seeped through me until I felt like I'd melt in my seat. Occasionally I glanced up at him, but he sat there staring straight ahead throughout the movie.

When the teacher shut the movie off and turned the lights on, I leaned back in my seat and stared down at what I had drawn. I'd outlined what looked like some kind of card, but it was nothing I'd ever seen before. There was a man depicted, carrying a staff like a mage would. He seemed fierce, a quiet strength obvious in his face. I got the impression that if he was real, he would be the type to avoid confrontation, but still be strong enough to defend those people he cared about. In the margins, I'd scribbled 'Dark Magician'. I had no idea what it meant, but I shrugged and closed my notebook. It was one of my better drawings in a long time.

I love to draw. When I got here, my muse just sort of left me. I think that was because of how much I disliked this place at first, and I didn't feel like doing much of anything. After, when I'd settled in and started to make friends, I'd gotten too busy thinking about Atem and what his problem was, so drawing fell by the wayside. I was extremely pleased to see that I hadn't lost the desire completely, no matter how unconscious this latest piece was.

I stretched my legs, pointing my toes as far away from me as I could. Atem laughed beside me.

"Well, that's interesting," he murmured.

I didn't get it, so I didn't say anything.

"Are you coming?" he asked, standing up smoothly.

"No," I whined, pushing myself out of the chair. "I don't want to go to Gym," I complained.

He laughed, told me to suck it up, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me down the hallway to my next class. I stepped out of his arms and turned around to say goodbye. His face, normally so composed, was twisted with nerves. He watched me carefully with this odd expression on his face, almost like he was in pain. Even now he was still so unbelievably gorgeous, and I had struggle not to step back into him. I opened my mouth to say I'd see him later, but the words never made it out.

Atem stepped closer to me again, and reached out to stroke a finger down the length of my jaw. Even after I'd been holding his hand for an hour, it was still icy cold, like he'd just came from Antarctica. I shuddered, and he meant to jerk his hand away like he usually did when things got more intense between us, almost like he thought I was disgusted by him or something, but I grabbed his wrist and urged him to leave his fingers on my cheek. I smiled at him, and his lips tipped up at the corners. He leaned forward, gauging my reaction, giving me time to pull away, and I became frozen.

Was he going to kiss me? My eyes slid shut instinctively, anticipating. Instead, something just as cold as his fingers touched my cheekbone. I opened my eyes in amazement, not able to do anything but stand there. I watched him pull away slowly, still watching my face for a negative reaction. Before I could stop it, a blinding smile broke out on my face. He gave me that crooked smile of his in return, before dragging his fingertips down my arm as he stepped away. He gave me one last smouldering look, turned, and walked away.

I stumbled into Gym, still a little dazed. If a simple kiss on the cheek left me so out of whack, how amazing would it be when he finally kissed me properly?

I changed mechanically, unaware of what was going on around me. I had to have a second attempt at putting my gym shirt on because the first time I put it on, it was backwards. I could hear Joey snickering at his locker in the corner, and I sent him a dirty look. He just laughed all the harder at that. But he did take sympathy on my and ask me if I wanted to be his partner in class.

It seemed now that he had gotten over his crush on me, because he joked the whole period about how weak-kneed a little peck from a cute guy made me. He didn't show any animosity anymore about Atem and I being a couple (but there was still an undertone of distaste, no matter how small it was), and he truly sounded happy when he talked about Rebecca. He chattered non-stop throughout Gym, and I smiled indulgently at him. I was genuinely pleased that he was so happy. Now that he'd stopped trying to impress me at every stop, Joey truly was an interesting guy. I could see us being great friends.

His generous mood lasted all day it seemed, because I managed to hit him with the ball four times before the end of the class, and he just laughed it off every time.

After we'd changed and were walking out of the locker-rooms, he decided to revisit a previous topic.

"So, you and Maximillian, huh?" I frowned, wondering if I'd misjudged him a moment ago.

"Uhm, yeah," I said cautiously. "But it's not your business, Joey." I warned.

"No! No! I, uh, it's great! He's just wrapped up in himself, you know, and his family has some problems," he mumbled. "It's weird, that's all. Normally he doesn't even blink in someone else's direction. But for him to put so much effort in making you happy, that's something else. I guess it must mean he likes you a lot," he offered quietly.

I stopped walking. "What're you on about, Joey?" I asked. "I don't understand."

He sighed and scuffed his toes against the floor tiles. "He just looks at you like you're some kind of snack. And his brothers are - " But he didn't say anything else. His eyes were focused on something over my shoulder.

I turned to look. Yusei stood at the end of the hall, and the open anger on his face was surprising. I mean, I knew that he wasn't as scary as his brothers or anything – I'd seen him go out of his way to help students in the hall before, but he didn't talk much to anyone else. Although he seemed the friendliest of the bunch, I knew he had to have a dark side, just like the rest of his family. But to see it so openly displayed to anyone who cared to look didn't seem like something Yusei did.

At first, I thought he was mad at me for some reason I hadn't been informed of, but then I focused more on his eyes, like I had learned to do with Atem when he was upset. Those cobalt eyes sliced down the hallway to glare at Joey, not myself. Suddenly I was confused again.

He seemed to snap out of it, because all of a sudden there was a dangerously wicked smile on his face as he strode down the hallway toward us.

Joey looked like he was about to need a change of pants.

I felt the hand on my shoulder before I knew what was happening, and I realized weakly that the first time I had anything to do with Atem's family, I was about to embarass myself by doing exactly what Joey was likely to do at any moment.

"Wheeler," a silky voice murmured next to my ear.

"M-Maximillian," Joey stuttered. "What, uh, what can we do you for you?"

Yusei turned his smirk on me. "Why, I thought I'd just let Yugi know that Atem's waiting for him, that's all." But that malicious look on his face must have told Joey something entirely different than the message I was getting.

"And I thought I'd remind you to keep your hands on your own things, where they belong." The smirk turned downright feral, and although I was confused, I thought it was best to just let it go. Joey apparantly agreed, because he took one last big gulp of air and practically ran in the opposite direction.

Yusei just laughed.

I turned to really look at him. This was the first time I'd ever been within touching distance of any of Atem's brothers, and not only was Yusei standing beside me with one hand in his left pocket, he had a small smile on his face (which, was the kinder one I remembered) as he regarded me carefully.

"Uh, hey," I muttered uselessly, not knowing what else to say.

Yusei just continued snickering as he hooked his other around my shoulders and yanked me down the hallway after him.

"I'm Yusei," he replied like I didn't already know. I figured his just did it out of politeness.

"Yugi," I replied.

"Yeah, trust me, I know," he said.

As we rounded the corner, I could see Atem leaning against my locker. He took one swift glance at his brother and I, and his eyebrow slid up to his hairline. It was obvious that Atem hadn't sent Yusei to deliver any message, and I felt infinitely more relaxed now that I knew Yusei hadn't been ordered to save me from Joey (but I still wondered what Joey was trying to say), it was just coincedence, and he went out of his way to be friendly to me.

But still, the conversation bothered me. Joey had obviously been trying to warn me of something, and the way Yusei talked to Joey, the open animosity, made it clear that the Maximillian's didn't like him at all. I recalled now the way Atem had sneered when Joey was brought up, the cold acknowledgement. What had happened there?

"Yusei," Atem nodded his head minutely to acknowledge him. Then he turned around to me and smiled.

Yusei didn't seem put off by the fact that he'd just been brushed off, because his attention switched to something at the end of the hall. He nodded at his brother, squeezed my shoulder, and then he was gone.

I raised my eyebrow in question.

"Seto," Atem replied, as if that was all the answer it required, which, to him, it probably was.

"Hi," I said.

"Hello," he responded, smiling brilliantly back at me. "How was Gym?"

I tried to not let my disappointment show on my face, but I know he caught it. "It was fine," I lied.

"Oh yeah? What happened?" Yeah, he definitely didn't believe me. His eyes shifted to check in the direction I'd come from.

"What?" I demanded.

He yanked his eyes back to meet mine. "Wheeler getting on everyone's nerves again?"

I clenched my teeth together. "You were eavesdropping again?" All of a sudden my amusement at Yusei's behaviour disappeared.

"How's those knees of yours?" He smiled innocently.

I just stood there with my arms crossed. I was embarrassed, but mostly I was angry. "I can't believe you would do this. Wait, yeah, actually I can," I said before I turned on my heel and stomped away from him in the direction of the parking lot.

I didn't get very far before he caught up to me, winding his fingers through mine. "You were the one who said I'd never seen you in Gym – what else can I say?" He didn't sound sorry about it at all. I ignored him as best I could.

We walked in silence – I was still too embarrassed and a little mad – to his car. When we got there, I waited patiently for him to unlock the door.

"Are you still mad?" He inquired quietly as we climbed in and he started to reverse out of the parking lot.

"Yes."

He sighed. "Will an apology get me out of the doghouse?"

I angled my head to glance at him. "Only if you actually mean it. And you stop doing that."

His face was suddenly contemplative. "What if we make a deal?"

"I'm listening."

"How about I mean it, _and_ I agree to let you drive on Saturday?"

I considered it and realized it was probably the best offer I'd get from him. "Deal."

"Then I'm very sorry that I upset you." He schooled his face into a sorry expression, but his eyes shone with sincerity, telling me he really did mean it. That sincerity only lasted a moment before playfulness overtook it, though. "And you better believe I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning."

"Just so you know, it doesn't really help with the Mokuba situation if a random person's Volvo is left in the driveway."

He gave me that condescending smile he always gets when I say something stupid and he's trying to be patient with me. "I wasn't planning on driving."

"How – "

"Just don't worry about it. All that matters is that I'll be there."

I let it slide this time because I had more important things to ask about. "Is it later yet?" I asked pointedly.

The car stopped, and I glanced around surprised. We'd already made it to Mokuba's house, parked behind my truck. He swivelled around to face me in his seat.

"You're back to why you can't come with me when I hunt?" His eyes were solemn, and his lips were tight.

"Well," I thought, "I was mostly worried about your reaction."

"Do I frighten you?" Yes.

"No."

He didn't buy it. "I apologize for scaring you," he murmured with a small smile, reaching out for me. I took both his hands in mine.

"When I think about you being there, I go crazy. It's..."

He took a deep breath and stared through the windshield. When he started to speak again a few minutes later, it was quiet and soft.

"When we hunt, we aren't ourselves. We give our selves over to our senses, become more like the animals we are. If you were there, if I caught your scent... I could never let you be near me when I lost control..." He shook his head, gazing through the thick, rolling clouds on the horizon that pressed down on us, dejectedly.

I schooled my expression into soemthing resembling a peaceful expression. I knew that he'd examine my reaction next time he looked my way to judge how I was feeling. Well, I vowed myself that from today on, I wouldn't be as easy to read in the future as I had been. Nothing showed on my face.

But as our eyes held, the silence deepened. That kind of comfortable silence where you don't feel the need to fill it with chatter. That kind of silence that you like, because you're happy to just be with the person you're sharing it with. That heat that I always felt when he touched me charged the atmopshere around us as he gazed at me. We sat like that for a few moments, before I sucked in a breath and dropped my gaze, fiddling with his fingers.

"Yugi, maybe you should go inside now," he suggested softly.

I opened the door and climbed out, clutching the door in order not to lose my balance and stumble.

Once I'd regained my bearings, I shut the door behind me without looking back. Before I could get very far, the window rolled down behind me.

"Yugi?" He called. He was leaning forward across the armrest.

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow it's my turn to ask you all the questions," he informed me, smiling widely.

And then just like Yusei, he seemed to vanish into thin air. I only saw the bumper of the car speed down the street before it disappeared around the corner after I collected my thoughts. I was happy as I walked into the house, knowing that he was able to put up with all my childish fits, that he still wanted to spend time with me, and that even if his family didn't like me, they still made an effort (or, Yusei had, at least).

That night, I dreamed about Atem again. But this time it wasn't that something was chasing me, or I wasn't scared in this dream like I had been in all the other ones. This dream had been filled with the same bone-melting heat that accompanied us this afternoon. After the dream, I laid awake and stared at the ceiling for a couple hours before I managed to fall asleep. Even then I tossed and turned restlessly, waking what seemed like every few minutes. It was only at about five thirty the next morning that I managed to fall into a deep sleep.

When I was up and dressed, I was still pretty exhausted. I tried to scrub the sleepiness off my face as I wandered down the stairs and got a bowl of cereal ready. Mokuba didn't have much to say as he made himself breakfast; he didn't even bring up Seattle again, which he had at almost every meal for the last few days. He really was trying to convince me to go to the dance instead, or some such nonsense. When I got up to wash my breakfast bowl, he placed his fork down on his plate and sat at the table quietly.

I turned around and leaned on the counter. "Yes, Mokuba?"

"Well, about this Saturday?" I cringed, even though I'd been expecting it.

"Are you still set on going to Seattle?"

"That's the plan," I agreed, settling on the decision to answer the questions with as few details as I could manage.

He picked up his fork again and stabbed at a scrambled egg, but made no move to actually eat it.

"And you're sure that you don't want to go to the dance?"

"I'm not going, Mokuba. There's nothing you can do to change that." I glared.

"But nobody even asked you?"

I sidestepped that. "It's girl's choice. In case you didn't notice, I don't fit the quota for that."

"Oh," he muttered.

I sympathized. Not only was he not too much older than I was, here he was acting the part of a single father. Not only that, I wasn't exactly the run-of-the mill teenage boy. He was trying his hardest, and here I was keeping things from him. It's not like he didn't know that I was gay, but I knew that even though he supported me, it wasn't completely comfortable with it. I didn't want to make it worse by parading a boyfriend around in front of him. Maybe when we actually had a chance to talk about it, maybe then I'd express myself a little more.

Plus, I pondered, I don't think he'd like knowing that his nephew was in a relationship with something that was only supposed to exist in movies and nightmares.

Mokuba left then, with a small wave goodbye, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth and pack my bag. I peeked through the window when I heard the cruiser pull away, but the spot where the vehicle had been was now occupied by a different one. I practically jumped down the stairs, being careful not to fall on the way down. As I reached the bottom, I wondered how long it would be before I was comfortable enough to not feel the need to run down the stairs every time he was close. I hoped I'd always be that excited to see him.

He waited for me in the car, playing with the radio while I locked up the house. I walked over to the Volvo, before slowly opening the door to the car. I climbed in and buckled my seatbelt. He was ginning, relaxed back in his seat by now. He really was beautiful, no matter which way you sliced it. There was no doubt about it.

"Good morning," he murmured. His eyes lingered on my face, probably around the dark circles under my eyes.

"You look tired," he observed.

"I didn't get much sleep," I admitted.

"We have that in common then," he joked. I cracked a smile.

"That's right, I guess. I bet I only got a _little_ more sleep than you," I laughed.

"I'll bet that you did."

"So what did you do last night?"

He laughed. "Did you forget that it's my turn to ask the questions?"

I pouted. "All right, all right. What did you want want to know?" I asked, wondering what would possibly be interesting enough for him to wonder about. I couldn't think of anything.

"What's your favourite colour?" His face was serious. I was actually surprised at his questions choice.

"It's green," I confessed. "It's my all time favourite, but reds and oranges are okay too," I continued.

He asked me the normal customary questions, favourite food, television shows, motives, etc.. He turned back to me as we pulled into a parking space at school.

"What CD would I find in your stereo if I looked?" he asked.

I thought back to the last time I'd listened to it. When I did my homework a few days ago, I'd switched from the CD Alexis had given me to one of my guilty pleasures. Normally I didn't like any music that had screaming in it, but I quite liked the _Dead By April _album Mokuba had bought me for Christmas last year, and I listened to it whenever I had a lot on my mind. I told Atem this.

He looked at me conspiratorially, and pushed the eject button on the car stereo. The CD that popped out was the same CD I listened to almost every day. That was a pleasant surprise, and I couldn't help but laugh. "You went from Debussy to this?" He raised his eyebrow.

"My taste is very complex, thank you," he responded, smiling crookedly.

It was like that all day. Every time he saw me, he had a handful of questions to ask me. I answered them all the best I could, even if I thought a lot of the questions were pointless - "what size shoe do you wear?" he asked at lunch – and silly. But he was interested, and I was happy to entertain his curiousity.

Before today, I think the last person that I'd been able to have such an open and lengthy conversation with was my grandfather, and lately we hadn't had much oppurtunity for that. All of our phonecalls were quick and to the point, and the e-mails were the same because grandfather wasn't very technologically advanced. Not that I could say anything about that.

I felt very self-conscious all day, paranoid that he was picking apart everything I said. And he was, technically, because every time I said something he didn't understand I had to expand on it, and the way I answered some of his questions helped him segue into his next question. There were only a few of them I struggled to answer, mostly because of embarrassment. But when I did get embarrassed it just egged him on. When he got on the topic of past relationships, I must've been as red as a tomato, but he wasn't put off by that. I slowly and awkwardly explained that this was my first relationship. I didn't want to jinx it, so that was all I'd say on the topic.

He seemed pleased to hear that though, and continued right on. I was sure he must have had a list he was going down, checking off the questions he'd already asked and adding more depending on my answers.

In Biology, Atem continued interrogating me up until the projector was set up and we were forced to be silent. Atem didn't pull his chair closer today, but he stretched his foot out so that the sole of his shoe was brushing against my ankle. That didn't help my concentration at all. There was the same spark between us, the heat. I had that urge to stretch out in his space and touch him like I always got when he wasn't holding my hand or some such.

I leaned forward on the table again, placing my chin in the palm of my hand. I didn't look at him, afraid that if he was looking my way, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Just like yesterday, I couldn't say what was on the screen for the last hour. At the end of the period after the lights were on, I spared a glance to my left. Atem was leaned back in his chair with one arm resting on the back, chewing on a pen cap. His eyes were resting on the side of my face, unreadable.

We stood up together, grabbing our things and walking towards our next class. Also like yesterday, once we reached the gym he leaned down to kiss my cheek before walking away.

Gym actually went by decently fast for a change. I sat on the bleachers and watched Joey run back and forth across the basketball court, but he refused to talk to me. I was sure, though, he looked like he wanted to give me a piece of his mind. He was probably just scared that a Maximillian would pop out of the woodwork and tell him off again, for whatever reason. I wanted to ask him why the Maximillian's didn't seem to like him – normally they kept to themselves and appeared indifferent about anyone else but their family – but it wasn't the right place (or the right time, apparantly, since Joey didn't want anythign to do with me). I felt bad about it; I didn't ask for Yusei to save me from Joey's conspiracy theories about my boyfriend, but he had, and he had give Joey a downright warning. There's no way anyone could say anything different. But I had other things on my mind.

I hurried to change and leave the locker room, anxious to see Atem again. The speed almost made me trip on my own feet, but I managed to stay upright. I made it out the door and almost plowed right into him, where he was leaning against the wall.

He snickered and reached out to steady me. I smiled widely. He smiled back before he launched into his next line of questioning.

They were harder now, not simple things. I actually had to think about them before I answered. He asked what I missed about home and what I had liked the most there. He demanded descriptions on anything he wasn't familiar with. We sat outside Mokuba's house in the car for a while, but my legs started to fall asleep in the cramped space and I invited him inside.

We sat at the table as I tried to explain how the heat of July in Arizona felt against your skin, how the sky looked without so many trees to hide it, how the mountains were covered with shimmering volcanic rock. He didn't understand why I liked the heat so much, and it was hard to explain that I loved how it wrapped around me, seeped into every pore, made me feel like I was a piece of something bigger and more important – like I was safe, and there was nothing that could hurt me.

I talk with my hands a lot, and before today, when I didn't have so much to say him, it was never a problem. But now I was embarrassed at my lack of self-restraint as I waved them around, trying to use them to give examples of the dips in the countryside, the valleys that I loved so much.

Although his questions were constant, they were quiet and soft, and I relaxed so much that I almost fell asleep at the table, forgetting even for a moment that we were sitting in my uncle's kitchen in Washington, and not back home in Phoenix relaxing on the porch listening to the crickets.

He paused after I finished explaining that, and I sighed in relief.

"Was that all?" I asked.

"No, definitely not,'' he replied, "but your uncle should be home soon."

"Mokuba! Oh wow! Has it been that long?" I looked out the window at the sky, darkened by rain, but it couldn't tell me how late it was. "What time is it?" I wondered, before glancing at the clock above the stove. It read eight o'clock; Mokuba would be on his way home by now.

Atem murmured the time as I turned back around to look at him, but his gaze was locked on the horizon out the window. We sat quietly for a few minutes before his gaze pivoted back to me.

"This is the safest time of the day for us. It's the saddest too, because it's the end of the day, the return on the night, but it's not the end of _our_ day. Our day never ends. And darkness is so predictable." He said wistfully.

"I like the dark. Without the dark, we'd never see the stars. Not that you see them here very much."

He laughed, and that dismal moment evaporated.

"Mokuba will be here in a few minutes, so unless you want to tell him we'll be together Saturday..." He raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks, but I don't think it's quite the night to introduce the boyfriend." I stood up, stretching my muscles which were sore for sitting so long. "So is it my turn tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"No way! Didn't I tell you I wasn't done?" He demanded, playfully, pretending to be upset.

"Is there even any questions_ left_ to ask?"

"You'll find that out tomorrow," he responded gleefully and stepped outside. But he froze on the doorstep, looking out into the distance silently.

"What is it?" I asked, placing a hand on his elbow and leaning past him to glance around. His jaw was clenched tightly.

His eyes caught mine only briefly. "Another complication," he responded glumly. He was at his car before I could even blink, and he started the engine and he reversed out of the driveway before I could open my mouth to say goodbye.

For a few moments I stood there staring in the direction he'd gone in disbelief – there hadn't even been a goodbye! Of course I knew Atem had his quirks, but that was unlike him.

It was then that a car I didn't recognize drove slowly up the road and turned into the driveway.

"Hey Yugi!" A husky voice called, and I was glad to see a familiar person emerge from the driver's side of the car.

"Spencer?" I asked, squinting through the rain at him. Just then, Mokuba pulled up in the cruiser, his lights illuminating the people in the other car.

Spencer was already striding towards me, a wide grin visible on his face even through the darkness. The passenger seat of the car was occupied by a much older man, only a little heavyset, with a memorable face – the cheeks sagged slightly, and the creases that ran through his skin made him seem older than he was. The eyes, they were familiar to me. They seemed both too young as well as too old, for they hinted at wisdom much older than the man. I knew that in his younger days, he was quite fit, taking very good care of himself. Now I couldn't see that man at all anymore, but I knew that this was Spencer's father, Brandon Lee. It'd had been more than five years since I'd seen him last, but there was no mistaking it. I don't know how I'd forgotten his name when Mokuba told me he'd sold him my truck, because he'd been around for all the time I spent in Forks. His eyes were wide in what I assume was shock, and they traced the route Atem had just taken not even ten minutes ago. The smile slid off my face. I paled.

Another complication, he had said.

Brandon watched me with intense, anxious eyes. I felt a little sick; had Brandon recognized what Atem was so easily? Could he believe those impossible legends Spencer believed to be silly?

I knew instinctively that Brandon did believe them. That nothing I could say would convince him of the opposite.

**Okay, so this was what I meant when I said I like the Vampire Diaries style of vampire better - it's a little more realistic, because now they can touch and show affection without worrying about someone getting seriously hurt.**

** The idea is that when the Vampire is out in direct sunlight they get the veins around the eyes/bloodshot look going on or just about to feed. However I'm leaving out the 'can only walk in the sun with a ring' thing, and I'll go back and forth manipulating both versions of cannon as I see fit.**

**I don't own any of the characters or series I've written about.  
**


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